Darkening Of The Light
by restive nature
Summary: DABtVS crossover. Life brings about so many changes and difficulties. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.
1. Prologue

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Prologue

__

May 22nd, 2021

The young woman was going to die. She knew it. The thing stalking her knew it. It was only a matter of time and action catching up with the knowledge. The broken furniture that lay underneath her broken and battered form held the knowledge as well as any form of non-sentient thing could. Her blood was trickling down her body, the rivulets making odd streams over her clothing and flesh. She glanced in morbid fascination at the pool it was making beneath her as it spread in the rotted carpet underneath.

He came closer, his twisted face exulting in his glory over her. He. She'd discerned that much in the few seconds she'd had before the creature attacked. Not that gender mattered to these things. The female form was just as viscious, sometimes more so than their just as deadly male counterparts. The woman considered continuing her desperate fight, her instincts driving her in that direction. But she was tired.

Emotions were flitting through her mind, both conscious and unconsciously. And though there was fear and rage and sadness, the most predominant was betrayal. She'd come here in good faith. She'd come here with expectations of a very different situation. But with the life she had been leading very recently, she should have known better. That the betrayal came from the person on this earth closest to her made it all the more bitter.

And as the creature closed in on her, the woman could not concentrate enough of her anger to fight back. The desire, the instinct to do so was gone. The hunger in her belly was stilled. As the creature jerked her head to the side, easy enough when she was unresisting, there was only one question burning in her mind. A tear trickled down her cheek as the Vampire's teeth sank into the pliant flesh of her neck, above her jugular.

Why? Why had Pietr lied to her?


	2. Chapter One

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

Chapter One

_May 3rd, 2021_

"Tell me about him. About Ben."

Max could still hear the question, Alec's question echoing in her mind. It was something that she'd been quietly preparing herself for from the first moment that he'd stepped into her cell back at Manticore. And then each and every time that had come and gone an opportunity had passed them by. And over time, Max had begun to believe that Alec would never ask her. He had no reason to, from his point of view, she realized belatedly. Ben didn't loom as largely in Alec's life that he had in Max's. And taking it from Alec's point of view, when Ben's life and actions had ended up causing Alec pain, she supposed that she wouldn't care that much about Ben's likes and dislikes, little foibles and incidentals either. In a way, his death had started the road to Alec's freedom. Not that he'd been aware of it.

What the fear of Manticore, both Ben's and Max's had forced her to do was reprehensible. On Manticore's part. Thanks to their conversation of the evening a couple nights ago, Max had begun to let go of a little more guilt that she'd felt in her part of her brother's death. There had been no argument from Alec when she'd finally shared the gruesome part of the tale. Just an acceptance and understanding. Somehow, Max felt that Alec's decision that she wasn't the monster she'd sometimes felt herself to be was almost as calming as Ben's forgiveness would have been. For while Ben had spoken of death as escape, his words had been purged from his mouth by the deep-seated fears he'd developed about their childhood home.

Alec's had been prompted by knowledge.

If Ben had gone back, they had only vague, half-formed ideas about what he might have endured. Max had discovered later what Psy-ops and reindoctrination included. And she'd survived it intact. But Ben was not she. And Alec was not Ben. And as different as Ben and Alec were, there were undeniable similarities. Dedication, compassion, honesty. These were traits that Max was unconsciously drawn to. Most likely because she'd been denied them in her formative years. If she really wanted to get Freudian with herself, then she'd be busy for the next few decades finding multitudes of layers about herself that could be blamed on that very conclusion.

But in finding these things in Alec, Max had felt an enormous relief. Memories of Ben had naturally tempered her first impression of Alec. And then her own fears and guilt. And finally his own natural arrogance and smart-ass attitude had compounded it. The latter had been shored up by her friend's reactions to him. And Max had erroneously let herself try and be guided by these two different forces. Had she chosen one path, perhaps she could have made a clear, if perhaps mistaken assumption about Alec and be done with it. But she finally had all the information she needed now. He was a friend. And if he always hadn't been in the beginning, she could certainly understand why not. But that's what he was now. And perhaps it was time to treat him as such.

Max wondered exactly how she was going to go about doing that. It wasn't as if she could just walk up to him and say 'sorry for being such a bitch and smackin' you around all the time. You're actually cool'. Well, she could, but that just wasn't her style. She tried to remember how she'd become friends with the people that were in her life. And for the life of her, she couldn't really remember making overtures to them. They were the ones that had approached her. Included her, for so long that it just felt natural to be around them. They'd done the same for Alec. Bonded without realizing it.

Max gnawed at her lower lip as she thought this problem over. She knew as Cindy would put it, that she had to 'come correct' with Alec. She'd been treating him like crap for so long and aside from the smart-ass comments and occasional scam going sideways; there wasn't much that Alec had actually done against her. Ergo there really wasn't anything that she could blame on him. Max frowned as the sudden idea of the duality of her feelings about him shone clear. The desire to protect him as she hadn't been able to protect Ben. So deep-seated that it wasn't ever something she consciously thought about, until now. Of course this warred by the foremost knowledge that as a Manticore bred assassin, he should be able to take care of himself. So when Alec did find himself in a spot of trouble and she'd had to go bail him out, the two idealism's warred with each other, the sensations confusing her. And then she reverted to form and got angry about it.

Max liked her life simple and it had seemed that upon her fondest wish and dream coming true, finding her siblings, things got a hell of a lot more complicated. But she wouldn't dare blame that on her family. It was all on Manticore. And once Manticore was gone, the institution, not the idea, Max didn't know which way to turn with the blame. And while she seemed to have taken a majority of it out on Alec, somehow it got spread around even more than that. Her resentment of Logan and Asha when she'd first returned. Her reticence in connecting with the friends she'd so dearly loved.

Max had begun to retreat from people in a way. She'd had a ready-made excuse in the virus that Manticore had injected her with to withdraw from Logan. And realizing that Alec'' words, that they didn't belong with ordinaries didn't make it any less burdensome. And once the habit of not touching, not connecting with Logan had begun, it had spread to others. Max shook her head and took a long pull of her beer. If she kept up all this analyzing she'd end up crazier than a loon. She just needed to relax tonight. Find happiness in the things she could and be prepared for the rest.

And as she finally decided this, Alec happened to stroll up the stairs and plunk himself in the seat across from her. Max watched him with a wary eye. They hadn't really talked since he'd left her apartment building the other morning. And after her encounter with Logan about that, she had wanted to take some time and think some things through. As a result, she'd been a little skittish around him. And they both knew that he was aware of it.

"Is it safe yet?" Alec asked in a soft rumble as he let his glass of scotch drift down to the table. He'd been watching Max, sitting by herself most of the evening. Cindy had sat with her a moment early in the evening before taking off after some hot chick. Max hadn't looked desperate for company, but he felt inclined to keep an eye on her anyway. Right from the first he'' always known that she was fairly impetuous. And that's where she got into trouble. SO when she finally had come out of her reverie, he'd decided to take action.

"Is what safe?" she snorted, toying with her beer mug.

"Getting within ass kicking distance?" he grinned. To his surprise she grinned back and her foot shot out, jarring the leg of the seat he was on.

"You're still not there," she teased. "Come a little closer."

Alec quickly scooted the chair back a few inches. "Uh, I don't think so," he shook his head, his eyes dancing merrily. This was a strange twist that Max had relaxed enough to be playing around with him. It was refreshing, and a little weird.

Max laughed at the hesitant rejoinder he gave her. She waved her hand dismissively before grabbing her beer again. "You're safe. I'm not in the mood to kick anyone's ass." He eyed her cautiously before moving his chair forward again. "But watch out, sometimes my foot has a mind of its own," she teased again. Alec's right eyebrow quirked up, as an answering smile tugged at his lips. She was in an odd mood tonight and he wondered at it.

"So what's got you over here all by yourself?" he demanded softly. She shrugged.

"Just thinking," she replied non-committedly.

"About what?"

"Stuff," she grunted, although his query wasn't really bothering her. Alec took a sip of his Scotch, and held the glass aloft, one finger pointing at her and arching both his eyebrows, inviting her to continue. Max sighed lightly. "You, me, Ben, Logan, my friends, Manticore, the transhumans… should I go on."

"Oh, that stuff," Alec grinned and then shook his head. "Nah, no need. I got ya."

Max deliberated a moment, thinking on whether she should tell Alec about what Logan had said about them. In retrospect, it was kind of funny. It hadn't been in that moment, but looking back on it, Max felt the desire to laugh out loud. And obviously Alec could see this.

"What's so funny?"

Max glanced up at him and smirked. "Well, Logan saw us."

Alec grimaced, not following the sudden shift. "Saw us? Saw us what?"

"The other morning," she clarified, the grin on her face widening. "At my apartment building."

"And?" he waited for her to explain why that was so monumental. She tilted her head to the side, considering him. He swallowed nervously, suddenly not liking the glint in her eyes. He took another sip of Scotch just as she announced Logan's revelation.

"He thought we were together," she chuckled, putting heavy emphasis on the last word.

Alec choked slightly on his drink, his hand coming up to catch the slight dribble as Scotch sprayed from his mouth. "What?" he demanded loudly. But her smug, haughty features made him groan. "Damn Max, you didn't tell him that we were?" He swore internally. It was just the sort of thing Max would have encouraged to push Logan away from her virus laden self. He leaned forward. "Cause we both know that we'd kill each other inside of an hour."

"I know," she replied enigmatically, her foot tapping idly as she watched him squirm. Finally she took pity on him. "Oh get that worried look off your face. When he said that I laughed. I mean the two of us," she gestured back and forth between them with her index finger. She didn't finish her statement, not needing to.

But Alec seemed to be stuck on the fact that she had found the idea laughable. His male dignity just couldn't stand for that. "Hey," he protested. "I'll have you know that a lot of women consider me a great catch."

"Oh and should we name them?" Max taunted. "Cause there aren't any that are coming to mind at the moment."

"Hey, I could give you a lot of names," Alec defended himself.

"If only you could remember," Max finished for him, enjoying his uncomfortable posture and the consternation on his face."

"Well, maybe I'd remember their names if their other, ah attributes weren't more memorable," he finally managed.

"Face it Alec," Max smirked. "You enjoy getting caught all too often. It's the sticking around that you have a problem with."

He shrugged easily. He'd long ago come to terms with certain aspects of his current lifestyle. "Where's the fun in that?" he demanded lightly. Although in truth, the sticking around part of what could be termed grown-up relationships had been on his mind more and more. Especially since, as Max pointed out, he'd never really had one. But, he reminded himself, if they were anything like the Max and Logan show, he didn't really want any part of it. But then thinking of Logan turned his thoughts right back to what Max had said before. "He really thought that?" he demanded worriedly.

Max just shrugged, looking thoughtful. "Well, by the time I went to see him, he was pretty drunk."

Alec nodded, "ah. About the only way he could have thought that." Now it was Max's turn to squirm. Alec immediately drew the correct conclusion. "Oh, he thought that first and that's why he got drunk." Max nodded miserably. "So what did you say? After you laughed, of course."

She glanced away, looking down at the mass of ordinaries moving about the room. She could easily bet a sure thing that none of their loves were so complicated. She wondered if she'd ever meet anyone with as complicated a life as hers, barring other Manticorians, of course.

"Well, it was more one of those shocked laughs, you know," she attempted to explain. "He really surprised me. Threw me for a loop. So no offense." He waved his hand, as if to say 'none taken' and let her continue. "He asked me to tell him that he was wrong. So I did."

"And I bet that was loads off of his mind," Alec snorted. But just as he was about to take another sip of Scotch, he caught the trace of moisture in her eyes. Keeping his face carefully neutral, he waited for her to continue.

"And then I told him that it was over," she continued softly, then glanced back at him tiredly. "And I don't want to hear an 'I told you so'."

"I wasn't going to," he replied just as quietly. "Trust me Max, I may have joked about it before, but I know it hurts." He said nothing else and neither did she. When enough time had passed for Max to absorb the gentler side of Alec, he leapt to his feet and swept up the empty pitcher, noting that she was almost through with her current mug. "So, how about I buy another pitcher and we shoot some pool? Sketchy's been avoiding me lately in that area."

Max ghosted an appreciative smile up at him. "Maybe he's finally coming to realize that he can't always exist on a diet of beer and weed and might actually have to buy some real food." They glanced over to where their mutual friend sat, trying to impress the ladies around him with his tales of woe. The transgenics glanced back at each other and shook their heads quickly.

"Good ol' Sketch?" Alec chuckled. "Never." He set off quickly to the bar, loath to leave her alone for long. Whenever Max was alone, she tended to brood and he wasn't about to let that happen. Max and her siblings hadn't been the only ones early in Manticore life that had been taught to watch out for your fellow soldier. As he jumped down the few steps leading up to the alcove they'd been in, Alec realized that that was probably why he'd stuck around Seattle originally. She might not have been a member of his unit, but she was one of his own in the broadest sense of the word.

Alec caught the bartender's attention and gestured in the air with the empty pitcher. The man nodded once and went back to filling the glass he was currently holding. Alec set the pitcher down and reached into his pocket for his money. He counted off the proper amount, and then a little more for some more Scotch for himself just as Original Cindy was approaching.

"Hey," she greeted boisterously. She'd noticed Alec and Max talking earlier, but when no blows, verbal or otherwise seemed to have been exchanged, she'd hung back.

"Hey Cindy," Alec greeted just as easily. He'd seen her occasional glance and was surprised that she hadn't come over earlier in all her bulldogged protective vibe. She was certainly extremely tenacious when it came to protecting her 'Boo'. "Buy you a drink?" he offered, then caught sight of the young redhead watching them from another table. "And your lovely friend of course," he offered with a wink.

"Not ta worry, pretty boy," Cindy chided with a wide grin as she too glanced back at her new lickety chick. "I got her covered." Alec laughed at her enthusiasm, knowing better than to push his luck. "How's Max doin'?" she cut to the chase.

Alec threw a quick glance again up to the shadowed area in the back of the bar where he knew Max to still be. But instead of the body hidden in the dark, he found her leaning forward, her arms resting on the table as she watched the people below her with an amused expression on her face. Well, at least she hadn't reverted to form yet. He turned back to Cindy. "You know about what happened?"

The woman nodded, but Alec didn't say anymore. While he was pretty sure that Max would have shared with her roommate, it was a common technique of Cindy's to say yes, even if she had no idea what was what. Then the other person would go over everything and she'd have her choice weapon, knowledge. And while he was also sure that Cindy would never use her knowledge to hurt a friend, he was also sure that he'd been the only person Max had shared with in regards to Ben.

"About Logan mistakin' the two of ya for a couple?" she clarified. He nodded. Cindy let her wide smile play over her face, as she looked him up and down. "And all Original Cindy has to say to that is 'nuh' and 'uh'. I'd have a better chance with Max than you would pretty boy."

Alec pouted immediately. "You wound me Cindy. You don't think I have any appeal at all?"

"Nah," she laughed, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Original just knows her girl. That's all."

"I guess," he sighed theatrically. "But you know, if I can't have you or Max, then I'm gonna need somebody who'll appreciate the great package that I am." He let his eye rove around the bar. Original followed his look and gave out a bark of laughter.

"Oh no you don't," she threatened playfully. "They all mine."

"Oh really," Alec smirked. He reached to hand the bartender the money and took the pitcher and the glass of Scotch. "Let me get this to Max and then we'll see about that."

"Won't do you no good," she taunted. "Original is plannin' on layin' down her thang and then it'll be all over."

"Oh, you're in trouble now, missy miss," Alec jeered as he wheeled around, yelling over his shoulder as he moved back to Max's table. "Nobody threatens me like that and gets away with it." Her laugh followed him all the way back. He hurriedly set the pitcher in front of Max while she smiled up at him, Cindy's laughter obviously infectious.

"What was that all about?" she demanded laughingly, reaching to pour herself a drink. Alec jerked his head to the side, indicating the pool tables.

"C'mon," he instructed, taking her beer glass from her and holding it up. "Cindy's impugned my honor. Can't let her get away with it," he repeated. He began to move around the way that he'd originally come and Max jumped to her feet to follow.

"What'd she say?" Max inquired. It was crowded enough in the bar that even with her heightened sense of hearing she wouldn't have been able to filter out enough to hear any but what he'd shouted. She followed his body as he wove through the throng.

"Cindy seems to think that I have no appeal to the fair gender at all," Alec grinned back at her. "Gotta prove her wrong." He didn't miss the roll of her eyes.

"Well at least your consistent," she mumbled, though she knew he was listening. "Once a jerk, always a jerk."

He shook his head. "What is it with you two? A guy can't get any love." But even as he said it, he was already winking at another girl, a blonde at the other end of the bar. She'd smiled back and Alec felt the tiny part of his ego that had been offended, lift again. Yeah, he still had it. When he heard the familiar clank of balls bouncing off one another, he finally turned back to survey what Max had done. He quickly assessed the balls, realizing that she'd sunk a stripe and a solid on her break. Max ignored him as she stretched over to make her next shot. But something caught Alec's eye.

He chose his own pool cue and leaned back to watch her play. She sank another solid and stood up to survey the table. "You know Max," he sighed, shaking his head with affected regret, speaking as if he were talking to a child. "When most people decide to get a matched set, they usually pick things that, well, you know, match."

"Huh?" her concentration was broken as he rattled off something completely incomprehensible to her.

He gestured with the chalk he'd just picked up. "Your wrist," he clarified. She glanced down. "No, the other one. Unless you got both of them done." Max looked down at the topside of her wrists, the puzzlement still there. "The tattoo," he finally said. Max grimaced at him and he stepped over to turn her right hand over. They looked down at the strange marking and Alec puzzled to make out what it was. As far as he knew, it looked like a symbol from a foreign language. He was about to ask her what it meant when he caught the absolute look of horror in her eyes. "Max?"

"I didn't do this Alec," she panted, quickly moving from her relaxed state, back to the mild tension she'd had thrumming through her body at odd moments. She glanced back down at her wrist. "What the hell is going on?"

Alec made a split second decision then without even realizing it. He took the pool cue from Max's hand and threw it, along with his own onto the table. He grabbed her free hand and with the other, gathered up his light denim jacket. He pulled her to the exit, Cindy, Sketchy, every other person forgotten. "Let's go," he muttered.

Max didn't put up much protest, other than to say, "go where?"

"Where we can figure this out," he answered. All either one knew was that something wacky was going on. And for transgenics, wacky meant danger.


	3. Chapter Two

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU. Also, some of the lines spoken by Max and Logan were taken from the episode "Love Among The Runes" which was written by Moira Kirkland Dekker & Jose Molina.

Chapter Two

_May 3rd, 2021_

Once Max had discovered what Alec meant by someplace to figure out the strange marking on her skin, she'd protested heavily. There weren't many people they knew that had the resources to figure these sorts of thing out. And since neither of them knew what the mark was, how or why it had appeared, they needed to find someone who did. And that meant Logan. It was highly doubtful that he would know about markings like these. But perhaps with his network of contacts, he'd be able to turn something up.

Max had voiced her protests. Based solely upon the fact that she'd just broken up for good with the man. Alec had overrode that, pointing out that just because she and Logan weren't together didn't mean that Logan would deny Max his help. And then Alec had muttered something about stuffing Logan's computer up his ass if he tried. That had gotten a small snort of laughter out of her, and for the rest of the walk to Fogle Towers, they were quiet.

Alec was racking his brain, trying to think of any time that he may have seen writing like that. But if it was, as he believed, a word or letter of a foreign language, then it was none he knew. And he did know a few. But even more puzzling about what it meant, was where it had come from. The color, the black was reminiscent of their barcodes that were encoded on their genome. But thinking along those lines just brought up more questions.

Max for her part, was unable to keep a cohesive line of thought in her head. She just kept cursing herself for jinxing her life. There she'd been, ready to settle down with the normal part of her life. She'd told herself to just get back to the simple things. And then bam! She'd been hit with something out of the ordinary. If it had been another lost sibling showing up, she'd know how to handle it. If it had been one of the transhumans in trouble, she could help. If Alec had been in a dangerous situation, she could save him. But this at the moment was beyond the scope of her instinctive protective abilities. She could save herself, of course. But what exactly was she saving herself from? Freaky markings that appeared of its own free will?

Although neither transgenic was giving anything away by their expression; it was a mark of their shock that they automatically opted to move to Logan's front door and knock. Instead of their normal route of climbing in an open window or picking the lock. And so when Logan opened the door to see who had come to visit, he was able to pick up on their shock and tension immediately. Even if it weren't a conscious thing for him, he did recognize it on some level. Of course as soon as he saw the combination of ex-girlfriend and the man he'd thought to be his rival, he was even more on guard.

"Max, Alec," he greeted softly, if somewhat stiffly. He debated a moment with inviting them in, but after the upheaval of the last few days, he decided to cut out the structure of false polite nature he'd been brought up to adhere to. "Why are you here?" The harshness of the question was deflected on by the faint tension around his eyes, letting both transgenics know that it was personal and nothing against them. Well, as much as it could be in any case.

"We have a problem," Alec announced, stepping forward. Logan let out a sigh and stepped back to let them enter. He knew better than to get in the way physically when a transgenic decided to do something. More often than not, they'd be just as likely to go straight through them. And he wasn't a match for them physically. Sometimes even mentally. IT was a sore point that he hoped he'd hidden well from them.

Alec turned as he entered the apartment, shedding his jacket. Max was still standing in the doorway, averting her face from Logan. The older man was looking at her with something akin to longing. With a sigh, he reached back and yanked Max through the doorway. Logan pushed the door shut behind her and waited expectantly. "Show him Max."

She waited a moment and then extended her right arm, wrist up. At first Logan wasn't sure what he was supposed to look at. But when he caught sight of the tattoo, his hand snaked out to grab it for a better look, until he remembered whom he was reaching for. Max and Alec had noticed his action as well, respectively taking a step back and a step forward to prevent the skin on skin contact. Logan held his hand up in a futile gesture. "Sorry," he apologized generally.

Max carefully extended her arm again and Logan leaned over slightly peering at the mark. "That appeared tonight, out of the blue," Alec explained. Logan glanced up at him, completely puzzled. Like Alec, he'd initially thought that Max had gotten a tattoo. Though for the life of him, he couldn't understand why.

"That's strange," he commented, then regretted it. Both transgenics were looking at him with obvious annoyance. He straightened up and moved towards the living room. He was a little miffed that they seemed to expect him not to comment on something that was new and completely baffling to him. "So what do you want me to do about it?"

The pair followed after him, one more reluctantly than the other did. "You know Logan, even as brilliant as we are," Alec started in a humorous tone, hoping to diffuse some of the tension, "Manticore still hadn't figured out how to cram every piece of knowledge on earth into our heads." Logan stared up at him blankly. "In other words," he sighed, "neither of us recognized what this is. We were hoping you might have some idea, or some way to figure it out."

"Oh," Logan murmured, feeling strangely deflated. When he'd seen Max, even with Alec in tow, he'd hoped. Hoped that she'd take back every word that she'd said to him the other day. But he should have known better. Max always was determined to protect the people she cared about. At least he could take comfort in the fact that he fell into that category still. But realizing now that they had come to him with a specific purpose, to get his help enabled him to push his personal feelings on the matter aside. He gestured for them to sit.

Max took a seat on the chair next to the end of the couch and Alec perched on the end of the couch opposite Logan, closest to Max. Logan leaned forward so that he could see both of them and then addressed himself to Max. "So it just showed up? You didn't do anything? Drink anything?"

"Yeah," she scoffed, "I drank from a bottle marked tattoos from within. Was that wrong?"

"Max," both men chided together. Alec glanced over at Logan and smiled, oddly gentle when the older man was only used to the transgenic's smirks and caustic rejoinders. He smiled back tentatively, but then Max was speaking again.

"Sorry," she apologized shortly. She glanced away, still finding it difficult to openly admit how badly she was shaken. "It's just freaking me out." She fell silent, still not looking at either one.

"I think it's some sort of word or letter," Alec explained to fill in the silence she left. Logan nodded. That was his first assessment as well. "Or maybe an icon of some sort. But being that we're just poor minimum wage workers with no constant access to computers other than yours, well…"

Logan nodded again. It made sense for them to come to where their needs were. An idea hit him. "Hang on a second," he announced as he rose from his seat. He strode away to his office. Alec glanced at Max, pursing his lips. 'You okay?' he mouthed to her. She nodded tiredly and then Logan was returning. He held in his hands a digital camera. He showed it to them.

"I'm going to take a picture of the mark," he explained, hurrying on before either could make a snarky comment about that. "And then I'll download it on the computer. That way I can compare it to whatever I come up with." Max just nodded and pulled the sleeve of her shirt back further so that he could take a clear picture. He did so, taking them from different angles. When he was done, he returned to his seat, setting the camera on the coffee table.

"What now?" Max asked quietly.

"Well," Logan adjusted his glasses nervously. "There are a couple search engines I can try. Maybe one or two people I know of that I can contact if that search turns up nothing. I'll get right on it."

"Okay," Alec slapped his hands on his thighs before standing up. "We better let you get to it then." Max gave him a grateful glance and stood herself. Logan followed them belatedly, stopping to pick up the camera so that his hands were full. Maybe then he wouldn't be tempted to reach for her. Not that he was fooling his own senses. Alec pulled the front door open and stepped outside, politely giving the former lovebirds a moment to themselves. But Max could still see his leg from where he was lounging against the hallway wall.

It was strange to her how he'd been picking up on her unspoken needs all night. Well, the last couple days actually. From giving her the opportunity to speak of Ben. To remember and then let go. To giving her space to deal with her revelations. And tonight, teasing her when she was in the mood, entertaining her with his rivalry with Cindy. Taking charge when she had no idea what to do or where to turn. And now, respecting the relationship that she had had with Logan, even when he'd once denigrated it. And staying close by to reassure her.

She shook her head clear of these thoughts. She could reflect on them later. She turned back to Logan, who was toying with the camera. "Thanks Logan," she murmured, her eyes shy as she glanced up at him from under half-drooped lids.

"Any time," he answered with an easy smile. "You know I'll help you however I can," he assured her.

"I know."

_May4th, 2021_

Alec had arrived at Jam Pony at his usual time. He greeted the various co-workers already there and made his way down the ramp, his bicycle beside him. He leaned it against the counter and shucked his delivery bag over his head.

"Hey Normal, what's the good word?" he called. His boss turned around a smile on his face as he beheld his favorite employee.

"Not much these days," Normal shrugged. He plucked a package from the growing pile and tossed it to Alec, noting the address aloud and marking it on the clipboard seemingly glued to his hands. He chose another one and repeated the process, this one flying over to Biggs, who caught it with the same agility Alec had shown. Once that was accomplished, Normal set about continuing his relentless and somewhat compulsive scrubbing off the counter.

Biggs jerked his head to the side and the two transgenics moved away from the ordinary. "You left early last night," he phrased it as an observation, but it was a question. Alec nodded.

"We had a bit of a situation," he replied with a shrug. If it had been something serious, Biggs would have known immediately by his tone and his posture. But what he gathered from his former unit member was that it was troublesome, but being dealt with. Not a threat that needed immediate attention and action. "I'll tell you about it later." Alec would have explained now, but he'd just caught sight of Cindy, but no Max.

The black woman threw Alec a worried glance and motioned him over. Alec went to her side, meeting her back at the counter, Biggs following after him. "Jus a sec," she muttered, holding one finger up to Alec. "Hey Normal!" she called. The older man turned to her expectantly; his face already twisted in disgust as he imagined what his employee might have to say this round.

"What?" he demanded.

"Max won't be in today," Cindy began, but Normal was already rolling his eyes.

"And what God-forsaken excuse has she come up with this time?" he demanded knowingly. Unbeknownst to his employees, Normal liked to keep a list of these excuses in a book at home, taking it out and laughing over the absurdity of the proffered items.

"She has a skin infection of some sort," Cindy stressed; her impassive face more than anything convincing Normal that she spoke the truth. Or at least some semblance of it. "She's goin' to get it checked out and she'll bring a note from her doctor."

"She better," Normal growled, although there wasn't much for him to say. But he felt better trying to retain the image of control. He dismissed them all with a glance and headed into the back room for more packages.

"What's really going on Cindy?" Alec asked quietly as soon as the other people milling about where out of earshot. She glanced at Biggs, unsure if the newest transgenic was in on what had gone down. But Alec wouldn't have asked in front of him if it weren't okay.

"She found another mark this mornin' in the shower," Cindy related. Alec sighed and swore softly. "Not the same as the other, but similar style," she went on. "Freaked her out and home girl decided to stay put."

"We're on our way," Alec confirmed. He nodded to Biggs and both men collected their bags.

"Thought ya would be," Cindy muttered, more to herself than them, since they were already riding away.

On the way to Logan's Alec explained the situation to Biggs. He was of the opinion that perhaps Biggs might recognize the marks. Biggs was doubtful, but agreed to have a look, just in case he'd come across something of that nature on one of his solo missions and just wasn't realizing it. Biggs asked why they were going to Logan's, which was easy enough for Alec to answer. He proceeded to tell Biggs about what had occurred after his erroneous arrest. What Logan had thought and said to Max. And why Max was avoiding him.

"So we're going to pick up Logan's digital camera," Alec outlined, "and then head over to Max's. We'll get the picture and then send the pics back to Logan so he can keep researching them."

Biggs threw his friend an amused glance. "Dude, all you had to say was that Max had weird marks and that we were getting a camera."

Alec looked mildly sheepish at that. "Yeah, sorry, kind of slipped into operation mode, didn't I?"

"It's understandable," Biggs chuckled. They'd arrived at Fogle Towers after quickly making their deliveries. Biggs settled back on his bike as Alec dismounted and leaned his against the building. "I'll watch it," Biggs told him, gesturing to the bike.

"Thanks," Alec noted as he took off at a jog up to the penthouse. Once there, he slipped in, thinking that if he could avoid Logan it would save everyone a lot of hassle. But even before he heard Logan puttering around his computer room, knew that he wouldn't have such luck. So he slipped on silent feet up to the doorway and knocked loudly on the frame. He hid a smile as Logan jumped and whirled around. The older man sighed and rearranged his glasses on his face.

"You'd think that after two years of this, I'd be immune by now," he complained. Alec leaned against the doorframe and smiled.

"You'd think," he agreed calmly. "Sorry man, didn't mean to startle you. Well, actually I did. Gotta get my kicks where I can."

"Nice to know what an amusement I am to you," Logan retorted, more than a little bitter. Whatever peace they'd discovered the previous night had faded in the sunlight. Alec sighed and debated confronting this problem head on. But since he had nothing to be ashamed of, mostly from not having done anything, he decided to get it out of the way.

"Look man, Max told me about what happened the other day," Alec began and Logan's head came up sharply. "And I understand," he went on. "I do. But you gotta know that Max and me? That's something that'll never happen. You have nothing to worry about there."

Logan stared at him, unbelievingly. Alec was assuring him? That was new. And the younger man's candidness prompted his own. "I know that. And it wasn't necessarily you I was worried about."

"How so?" Alec queried. Logan sighed and took a seat in his chair. He avoided looking at the other man by pulling up the search engine he'd been working on before he'd broken for some breakfast.

"I think I probably would have said the same no matter who the guy was in that position," he muttered. Alec made a noise of encouragement in his throat and Logan spared him a glance. For once, there was no bemusement on Alec's face as he regarded the older man. Just understanding. The words continued to slip out. "It was just, seeing you and her, so close together. Something we don't seem to have anymore. Whether we can touch or not, you know?" He looked up at Alec again. "I want her to be happy. And I hate that it's not with me. But I don't begrudge her finding someone that can do that for her." He paused and glanced down at his hands, knuckles white as they twined together, "I just don't want to be there to see it happen. You know what I mean?"

"I do," Alec nodded. "And like I said, Max and I are just too alike to ever go down that road. That and the fact that no matter what anyone thinks of me, I do draw the line somewhere. I'm not the type of guy to intentionally steal another guy's girl." Logan nodded, even though he'd never thought along those lines when it came to Alec. His track record might have said differently until one thought about it and realized that though he loved the ladies, he didn't go that route.

"Yeah," Logan agreed. "But even if I'm not losing you to her, I'm still losing her."

"And there's the kicker," Alec grunted. He ran a distracted hand through his hair, debating whether or not he should say more. But it was a rare moment that either one of them opened up to get to the heart of emotion. And it was decidedly weird for Alec. But he was in the moment and decided to run with it. "You know, you do make Max happy. I've seen that. Not often and I'm sure that's because I'm not around all the time. The problem is that once she's happy, all the crap rushes back in on her, making those moments tougher all the time."

"I know," Logan admitted quietly. "It's the same for me."

"You've said that you want her to be happy, that's good," Alec affirmed. "But Logan, if you can't just go back to being her friend and someone who helps her, it might be better to just let go completely."

Logan bit his lip as he considered that, not for the first time. He glanced up at Alec again. "Do you think I should do that?"

Alec took a deep breath. He'd told Max this before, that they didn't belong with ordinaries. And he wasn't about to sugarcoat it for Logan. There was just too much heartache, even on a good day. "In the long run? Yeah, I think so. It's nothing against you man. I just think it's the better option for Max."

Logan was silent as he took this in. But to Alec's surprise, he let out a bark of laughter. "Well, there's another first."

"What?"

"That you and I of all people would be having a talk like this," Logan grinned, even though his heart was heavy. Alec got what he meant though and straightened up, chuckling.

"Yeah, I seemed to be having a 'dad' moment," he laughed and then a small shudder went through him.

"Scary thought," Logan chuckled. "Can't really see you as a dad. No offense."

"Nah," Alec waved it off. "Neither can I." He paused a moment. "Protective older brother?" he offered. Logan considered but a moment on that, the dual meaning of it clear to him. Alec was assuring him in his own way, that he really had nothing to fear of a romantic entanglement between the two transgenics. But at the same time, by positioning himself as Max's pseudo brother, he was also stating that he would look out for Max as family would. And it heartened Logan some to know that she'd have someone looking out for her when he couldn't. And as much as Max would protest that she didn't need anyone to save her, Logan had been around her long enough to know that that wasn't always the case.

"So, what was it that you needed?" he asked, ending that topic of conversation.

It didn't take long for Alec to explain and come away with Logan's digital camera. Then he and Biggs rode to Max's and explained what they had done. Max had resignedly allowed Alec to photograph the mark that had appeared on her shoulder that morning. Biggs stayed behind to talk with Max about both marks, which he seemed to believe, were Egyptian in nature. Unfortunately, it was a language none of them knew, speaking or reading. But both Alec and Biggs were loath to leave her alone. And because Alec knew Logan better, he decided to go. He left them deep in conversation about the different countries that Biggs' missions for Manticore had taken him. Alec was surprised that they were getting along so well for barely knowing each other.

_May 7th, 2021_

"Boo, you about ready?" Cindy yelled above the music that she had playing. She didn't hear a reply, so she leaned over to turn the stereo down. "Max?"

"Yeah, just a second," the other woman called back. And true to her word, just moments later she emerged from her room. Reminiscent of the night a few weeks ago that she and Cindy had gone out, only to be interrupted by a bunch of narcissistic blood sucking teens, Max was dressed a little better than she normally did for clubbing.

Cindy whistled and checked her friend out, with a little attraction sparking in her. Damn but her roommate was a fine looking woman. But just as Cindy knew that Max and Alec had a snowball's chance in hell of getting together, her Boo also didn't "swing that way". But Cindy consoled herself that it was okay to look and appreciate. Her noticing was more in the manner of taking her by surprise as she realized anew just how well Manticore had designed this person. Somewhat akin to being jealous of a good-looking friend's gene pool.

The skintight blue jeans accentuated Max's slim figure. And the dark blue, mock turtleneck sweater she'd paired with it hugged her torso nicely. Her arms were bare below the elbow, but Max had covered up the bothersome mark with a wide, tight bracelet. Cindy had to smile as Max's hair bounced in its ponytail. She'd even gone so far as to apply a little make-up. And when Cindy had gotten home from work the day before, she'd given Max another manicure. Something that was still a weekly ritual with them.

"Well, if you're ready, then let's go," Cindy decided as she shut off the stereo completely. The two women headed off, complaining good-naturedly about their workday. They were only meeting up with their co-workers and friends, but it felt good to be out and about and in the same frame of mind.

Once they arrived at Crash, they'd found Alec, Biggs and Sketchy holding a table for them in the back. Their usual one. Max slid into an available seat between Sketchy and Alec and took the proffered mug that Sketch slid towards her. Alec glanced at his watch, his face lighting up with a grin.

"Wow, close to on time tonight," he teased. "Did Cindy threaten to hog-tie you and drag you along tonight?" He glanced at Cindy who was smiling as well.

"Nah," she offered before Max could say a word. "Boo was just in the mood to partay tonight. And who is Original Cindy to be sayin' no to a face like that?' They all looked towards Max who looked startled at being the sudden center of attention. There was laughter and she flushed slightly.

"C'mon," she jerked her head towards the foosball table. "Let's play."

"Hang on," Cindy muttered, grabbing her glass even as she let her eye rove over the bar-goers. There were no specific ladies that caught her attention yet, so she followed after her friend. They began a game and while they were playing, Sketchy noticed that the pool table became free. So the men headed in that direction. It might have turned into a night just like any other between the young people. But it was comfortable, fun and familiar and they were able to relax. Biggs challenged Sketchy, who agreed, with Alec playing the loser.

But as the evening wore on, things changed once again. While Alec was playing Sketchy, Biggs headed over to the bar to get them all a refill. Before Alec could make his next shot, his cell phone rang. He threw an apologetic glance at Sketch before pulling it from his hip pocket to answer. "Hello?" he muttered, moving to a slight alcove to hear a little better.

"Alec? It's Logan?"

Biggs carried two mugs and Alec's glass back to the bar. He shouldered his way in and found that he was next to Max, waiting for her pitcher to be refilled. "Hey," he greeted as she glanced up. After talking with her earlier in the day, he was less unsure of things that he'd been before and they'd been able to relax with each other.

"Hey Biggs," she answered. "How's the game going?"

"Sketch is losing, as always," he chuckled. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that particular pattern. But as he glanced down when her hand reached for her money in her pocket, he swore internally. She withdrew her hand, money clasped loosely and Biggs did the first thing he could think of. He grabbed her hand; his larger one covering hers completely, just as the bartender slid the pitcher across the counter.

Max was stunned and wondered what the hell he was doing. "Biggs?" Her tone was a combination of puzzlement and warning. But he just smiled at her and then at the bartender as he slid his own money to the other man.

"I got this," he told them easily and then gestured at the glass he'd brought over. "And can I get another scotch?" The bartender nodded and turned his back. Max expected him to let go of her hand and was beginning to get a little flustered when her hand remained clasped in his and he turned to her. Making the move seem natural, like those of a much closer nature, Biggs leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"You've got another tattoo coming in on the back of your hand," he informed her. "Didn't think it was a good idea for the ordinaries to see your skin churning out secret messages." Max's eyes hardened, as did her jaw, but she let her hand remain where it was.

When Alec approached, he was surprised to see Biggs standing beside Max, holding her hand. And while he was aware of what it looked like to the ordinaries, he was able to read the body language much better. He came up behind them and glanced down at Biggs' hand, his thumb caressing Max's knuckles, while the woman held herself stiffly. The bartender slid Alec's scotch across to him, knowing well enough who it was for. Alec threw some money down on the bar, his cell phone still in his other hand. He picked up the glass and downed the drink in one gulp.

He raised one eyebrow in Max's direction, daring her to question the action, but she said nothing. Biggs waited until it wouldn't be noticed and lifted his hand for the briefest second, allowing Alec and Max to see what was developing. Both swore softly. He let her go and Max crossed her arms, hiding her hands. Alec turned to her, but included Biggs with his glance.

"Logan just called," he told her. "He's got a translation on those other two marks."

Max let out a long sigh. "Let's go," she told him tiredly.


	4. Chapter Three

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

Chapter Three

_May 7th, 2021_

"So what have you got for us Logan?" Alec asked as they entered the penthouse suite. Logan had been expecting them, so there was no moment of startlement. The transgenic pair had left Biggs behind at Crash to make their explanations to Sketchy and Cindy. If it had been just Cindy, they wouldn't have worried. But Sketchy still was unaware of the reality of true transgenics in his midst and at the moment, they preferred to keep it that way.

Logan came out of his kitchen to see Max and Alec standing in the living room. Alec had picked up the digital camera that had been lying on the coffee table. Logan had figured that if Max already had more than one tattoo appear, she might have more. And judging by the way that she was resignedly holding her hand out towards the other male, another had appeared. He had decided to leave the camera in an easy to find place, so that if Alec or Max needed to, one of them could just swing by and take it as needed. He wasn't sure that they hadn't already done so. But if they had, there would have been more pictures waiting and a note or phone message telling him so.

"You've had another one," Logan announced. It was a statement of fact and not a question, so neither transgenic answered. He moved a little closer to see the marking on Max's left hand. He tilted his head to the side as he tried to make it out. He hadn't seen that one yet in his study of the subject. As far as he could recall. "Maybe that one will help the others make a little more sense."

"How so?" Alec asked as he glanced up quickly from the camera's viewfinder.

Logan moved away again to let them finish and to give Max and himself a little breathing room. "Well, your friend Biggs was right. The marks are Egyptian. But they weren't in the nature of the acceptable hieroglyphs. I had to dig a little deeper until I found the right sect."

"But you found out the meaning?" Max demanded, eager to know what she was facing so she could put a stop to it. Logan nodded and went to retrieve the papers he'd printed out when he could. When he returned, the camera was back on the table and both transgenics were seated. Logan set the papers before Max and Alec scooted a little closer so that he could see as well. Logan took a seat in the chair that Max had occupied the other night, but leaned forward to explain his findings. He waited until Max looked over the papers and had set them back.

"So as you can see," Logan gestured to the specific mark outlined on the paper that most closely matched the first mark to appear, "its literal meaning is 'inferno'. Which makes no real sense."

"What about the second mark?" Max asked impatiently. "Did you find anything that matches?"

Logan nodded, shuffling the papers to show the next. "It was a lot tougher to find, especially considering Egyptian beliefs. It speaks of 'life beyond life' but not as it pertains to reincarnation. The closest thing I could come up with is resurrection. But that doesn't make sense to me, again because of the Egyptian beliefs that when a body died, the soul was offered reincarnation. The chance to live again in another body."

"Whereas resurrection is bringing the dead back to life with the same soul of the dead person intact," Alec concluded. Logan looked mildly surprised, but then, he had very little idea what exactly Manticore had taught the older soldiers training for missions. And it seemed Alec picked up on that immediately. "Religious Theory 101," he deadpanned. "Useful for manipulating religious figures and fanatics by understanding how to debunk their belief systems." That the answer was followed by a cheeky grin didn't reassure Logan one bit.

"Yes," he cleared his throat with a small grunt. "Well, that's what that mark means."

"So inferno and resurrection?" Max threw out quickly. "Why doesn't it make sense to you? I mean, I haven't really given religion a lot of thought," she threw a quick glance to Alec, but he was inclined to say nothing. Especially since a lot of their talk after Ben was the development of the 'religion' of the 'Blue Lady' that had prompted their brother's psychotic breaks. It was too personal a subject for them to be included in this conversation, and also because it didn't seem to bear relevance since it was made up in a hodge podge of fears and assumptions on the part of young children.

"Fire, one way to die," Alec continued for her, "and resurrection, one way to live again."

Max stared down at her wrist for a moment, fiddling with the bracelet covering the first hieroglyph. She spoke softly, trying to make sense out of the mystery that her body had once again become. "Maybe it's talking about the Manticore fire," she offered. "We ended their chance at life by blowing up the DNA lab. And then the second fire when Renfro tried to blow the Seattle base. But I went back and let everyone out. Gave them a chance at a new life."

Both men were quiet at that announcement. Neither accepted that, for different reasons, but it was hard for either to dispel the hopefulness they heard in her voice. Finally Alec spoke. "If that were true, then why didn't the marks show up long before this? Like when you were actually doing those things? Why tell you about it now, when it's over and done?"

Max stared at him, biting her lip. She glanced away and stood, moving to the large bay window and looking to where the lights of the city twinkled below them. "Maybe I have to do it again and I'm actually getting some warning this time. Maybe there's going to be trouble in Terminal City." Alec would have protested, but Logan shook his head.

"Max," he interjected, before she could continue her theory. She turned back to look at him. "The reason why they made no sense to me is because the two marks seem to come from different sources. The word inferno doesn't really exist in the Egyptian language. Not the same way it does in ours. To them, if we were to describe an inferno, it would simply be a large fire or blaze to them." He sighed and rubbed at his eyes behind his glasses. "And again, the word resurrection wasn't part of their ideology at all. It was introduced some other way, probably by a culture that it did mean something to."

"Which culture?" Alec asked. Logan shook his head tiredly.

"I'm still trying to figure that out."

"So then the best thing to do would be to figure out this third mark," Max commented, her back to both of them again. "Then we can learn if it comes from one or the other language, or culture. Whatever you want to call it."

"Or a third one," Alec offered softly. Logan sighed. This wasn't something he was really looking forward to. Strange, because the gathering of information was a big part of his tasks as Eyes Only. Usually, he enjoyed solving a mystery. But this mystery didn't seem inclined to be solvable yet. It just kept opening up a new line of questions. But there was no other use for it. He stood.

"I'll start working on it," he announced. "Do you want to stay and see if I find anything, or…"

Alec looked to Max, to see what she wanted. But she'd gone back to staring out the window. "Maybe we'll stick around for a little while," he decided, still watching her. She gave no indication that she disagreed with his assessment. "Two sets of eyes looking is better than one." Logan nodded and went into his study. Alec spared one more look at Max and then followed the other man.

The two men soon had a pattern down to their searching. Logan would enter the address of the web page they were looking for and Alec would quickly scan it. His eyes, more accustomed to the rapidity of the work missed nothing. But it still took nearly an hour before they found a match for the latest symbol. Logan called out for Max and she hurried into the room.

"What did you find?" she demanded as Alec gave up his seat to her. Logan had to lean back in his chair as she peered in at the computer screen. He simply pointed to where the information was, but it offered no assurance to Max. "Mouth? What the hell does that mean?" she almost screeched, looking at the other two as they shrugged helplessly. She flopped back in the chair; her energy drained off as quickly as it had come.

"Well at least we know one thing," Logan tried to buoy their spirits. "It's from the same set as the first one. So the words are connected. How, I just don't know."

"Maybe the marks aren't telling you something," Alec offered cheekily, trying to lighten the moment. "Maybe it's just describing you. I mean you do have a hell of a mouth," he teased. "I've seen vipers with less poison than you." Both Logan and Max had spun around to glare at him, though for very different reasons.

"Shut up Alec," Max warned tiredly, turning back to the computer. But Logan continued to stare at him, the stern expression on his face making Alec slightly uncomfortable. He held his hands up.

"What?" he grinned. "I was just making a joke. You've heard of those, right? You know, someone says something funny, then people laugh. Then someone else says something funny. We laugh some more and everyone feels better."

Logan shook his head. "No. What was that you said before?"

"About the joke, or the vipers?" Alec asked, not sure what Logan was referring to. But whatever it was the older man obviously thought whatever offhand remark he'd made was important.

"About the 'hell of a mouth'?" even as he said it, whatever had prompted his concern seemed to dawn in his mind. "Oh. That's it. Hellmouth!" He turned back to the computer and pulled up a new search engine, typing away furiously. Max and Alec shared a look of mystified wonder.

"Uh, you kind of lost us in translation there Logan," Alec joked, trying to get the other mans' attention back. Logan glanced up, then back at the screen as his fingers continued to type things in.

"Hellmouth. I've heard that term before," he explained. "I just can't remember where. Or when." He readjusted his glasses and sighed. His current search had turned up nothing. So he decided to try the two words separately, not typed together as he had originally input it. But as he'd thought nothing relevant came up immediately. He turned back to the pair. "Maybe you should go home. Get some rest. It looks like I'm going to be at this for a while."

Max nodded and rose slowly from her seat. She'd been a little excited when Logan had that burst of sudden inspiration. But she realized that she'd have to wait, same as the others. "Um, thanks again," she whispered to her former boyfriend. He glanced up and smiled gently at her.

"Not a problem," he assured her, then glanced in the direction of the living room. "Why don't you take the camera with you," he suggested. "That way, if any more hieroglyphs show up, you don't have to come all the way over if you need it." Even as he suggested it, his heart sank. It was about the only excuse that he had to see her now. But he'd already begun to take Alec's advice and his own painful urgings to heart. She needed to be free of him. Max sighed and nodded and headed out that way. Before Alec could follow, Logan's hand stayed him.

"Yeah?"

"Could you ask your friend Biggs about this?" Logan asked. Somehow, he just wanted to get to the bottom of this as swiftly as possible. Any and all information was needed and he didn't care at this point where it came from. "Maybe he's heard the term, if he's at all familiar with Egyptian."

"I don't think he is," Alec shrugged. But to do so was no skin off his nose. "But I'll ask him anyway. You never know."

"Yeah. You never do."

__

May 10th, 2021

Logan sighed again as he rubbed his face tiredly. He ambled back into his study, carefully setting the plate with the sandwich he'd just made for himself on the desk. It was more than he'd eaten in the last day and he wasn't sure that he was even hungry for it now. But it had provided him with some distraction from staring blankly at the computer screen.

He'd finally had enough of scrolling through various pages and trying to decipher meaning out of something that had no recognizable pattern. Alec had called the morning after their last visit to inform him that Biggs had not recognized "Hellmouth". And none of their "acquaintances" had either. Logan hadn't been so sure about involving more people, but Alec had assured them that it was done in passing. Just a light inquiry of something that interested him alone. And he told Logan, Manticore soldiers knew better than to ask for more information if it wasn't something that dealt with them personally.

He could have thought on that for a while. But honestly, ever since he'd met Max, he'd had quite a stomach full of trying to discern behavior, learned and instinctive in that group. And that didn't always make sense either. Logan Cale liked his life aside from Eyes Only to be simple, uncomplicated. It gave him a sanctuary from life when life got overwhelming. When the slime of the underbelly of this rotting cesspool of a world threatened to drag him down with it, he had some place to retreat. Some place where he could regroup, relax and recoup his dedication to bringing down that very slime.

So since Logan had been weary of looking through page after page of useless information, he'd downloaded and then printed said pages that seemed to offer information. And since he'd had as many marks and hieroglyphs that he could find, in case any more marks came up, he then turned his attention to possibly finding someone who would be more knowledgeable about this subject. And he'd found plenty of those. There were a lot more Egyptian theorists and people with doctorates in the study of Egyptian mythology, theology and life study than he'd thought there'd be in this day and age.

But since he was looking for information that wasn't supposed to exist within that culture, he was mostly laughed at or meeting dead ends. Such as his most recent one. He'd found the name of a young woman who'd shown proclivity in the area. But when he'd researched further, it was to find that she'd died, well before the pulse had occurred. Which was a shame, he figured. She'd only been in her early twenties at the most. He grieved for her in that absent way that made all humans sad when a life was snuffed short. More likely, it was from the fact that she wasn't there for him to pick her brain, thereby making his job that much easier.

Just as Logan resigned himself to once again trying a new avenue of search, the telephone rang. He glanced at his watch while his other hand reached for the telephone. It was after midnight. "Hello?" he asked, his voice gravelly with the strain of the past few days.

"Logan? It's me," Max announced. Unconsciously, he straightened up and ran a hand through his unruly hair. He smirked to himself when he caught himself at it. She couldn't see it. But somehow Max had always made him believe that he could be larger than life. The admiration that she held for him was noted and he always wanted to be at his best, just to see that admiration from her. He deflated a little when it hit him that there wouldn't be many opportunities for that now.

"Hey Max, what did you need?"

"Well, I have some good news and some bad news," she hedged. Then with a sigh, she admitted, "I just don't which is which."

"What happened?" he could tell immediately from her own weary tone that she was referring to the glyphs on her skin.

"Well, I got home from work today and noticed that the first mark had faded," she explained. Which Logan could see as being good news to her. But did that mean the others would fade away too?

"And the bad news?" he asked, a small smile lilting his mouth. She chuckled as well, glad that he was on the same wavelength.

"Another one showed up not long after," she offered softly.

Logan sighed and toyed with the plate before him. Did he say he was sorry? That seemed so pathetic. He had no control over the situation, yet he did want to express his sympathy to her. Not that he could ever understand what it was like to have weird marking suddenly show up on his skin. It was about one of the weirdest things he'd ever seen. And with her siblings and the transhumans from Manticore, he'd seen a lot of weird things. But at least all those things had explanations behind them. Albeit, there was a demented mind out there behind most of them. Logan pondered that for a moment. This whole thing would make sense at the end. He was sure of it. But just getting there was the tough part. He needed to have faith that it would explain itself in the end.

"Did you take a picture of it?" he asked finally.

"Yeah, Alec's bringing it over," she told him.

"Alec is?" Logan spoke sharply. Despite what the transgenic said, there would always be a small corner of his mind that wondered about them. Hopefully just idle speculation. It was something he'd wondered about even well before the evening Alec had spent at her apartment.

"Yeah," Max went on. "It appeared on my right shoulder and I couldn't quite get the angle right," she explained. "It kept coming out blurry. And Cindy was out, so I called Alec."

"That's fine Max," he broke in. She certainly owed him no explanation.

"Okay," she muttered. "He should be there soon."

"Well, if he doesn't mind, I might have him look over some stuff," Logan decided. He could almost see her nodding, biting at her lip as she did when she was nervous. "Call me if anything else comes up."

"Yeah, bye Logan." She'd hung up before he could make his own good-byes. But he said them anyway.

Alec showed up not too long after. He simply moved about his business, downloading the latest glyph on Logan's computer while the older man continued to organize the reams of papers he printed out. Once Alec was done he turned to Logan to see what he'd been fiddling with. Logan held out the bundle of papers to him.

"Here," he muttered. "That newest glyph might be in there. Why don't you look through them." Alec just shrugged and took the papers and then sat at an available chair. He glanced over at the sandwich that Logan had made earlier, still uneaten.

"You should eat, you know," he advised even as his eyes scanned rapidly through the material offered.

"Not really hungry," Logan grunted, seating himself before his computer again.

"Well you're not going to help Max at all by passing out," Alec snapped out. He let the papers drift down to his lap. "I get that you want to figure this out, but neglecting yourself won't get the job done."

Logan turned to face him. Something that had puzzled him from the very first niggling again at his mind. "Why do you care Alec? It's not like we're friends."

"No, we're not," Alec agreed mildly. "But that doesn't mean you're my enemy."

"I thought everyone was the enemy," Logan chuckled without humor. Alec just grinned.

"That was Max's mindset, not mine," he shrugged. "And I think that mostly came from big brother Zack's influence."

"True," Logan couldn't help but agree with that. In the beginning, that was how she'd felt. She'd changed, but she still didn't just automatically take everyone and everything at face value. "But that still doesn't answer my question."

"Got nothing better to do with my time," he shrugged. Logan nodded sagely. He remembered when he was younger. When the constant whirl of life as a bachelor had begun to lose it's shine. Of course, that was what had led to his marriage to Valerie, that looking for something new, different and exciting. And once their divorce had been finalized, it was part of what had led him to Eyes Only. But was that truly happening for Alec? It had seemed to Logan that the younger man had plenty of time before that lifestyle began to pall. Especially since he'd only gotten free of Manticore, really free of it in the last few months. And there was always something else to take its place.

Logan shook his head and turned back to the computer screen, but all the images and words were starting to blur together. "Damn it!"

"What?" Alec asked blandly, moving to look over his shoulder. "Find something?"

"No," Logan sighed. "It's that word. Hellmouth. It keeps eating at me. I know I've heard it before. But I just can't remember!" He shook his head. Alec probably couldn't understand how it was preying on his mind. After all, Manticore had designed them with accurate and total recall.

Alec sighed as well and retook his seat. "Word of advice Logan," he mumbled. "Relax before you give yourself a coronary."

Logan spun around in his chair. "I can't relax Alec. What if it has something to do with this? And if I don't remember, then something bad happens. Something I can't fix?"

Alec stared at the older man, as if suddenly comprehending how much he did take upon himself. He'd always made jokes about Logan's superhero complex. About how fanatical he could get about saving the world from the big bad things inhabiting it, when most other people were just inclined to make the best of it. But he was seeing now where it was coming from. Logan actually cared about these things. It wasn't a job to him. He really believed that if he could help, then he should. And when he had the means to do it, he did. And while Alec wasn't so inclined, neither was he so callous a bastard to turn his back completely.

"We don't know it's going to be anything…" he began, but stopped. That was just the problem. They knew nothing about this and every piece of information dropping into their lap was bringing up more questions. Perhaps Logan's words did have merit. Rapidly processing that, Alec made a decision. "You're right, it might be important. Would you do something if I asked you to?'

Logan looked slightly suspicious. "Depends on what it is."

"Nothing sinister Logan," he remarked caustically. "I just want you to relax and not think about where you heard that word. Just think about how you're feeling right now"

Logan stared at him skeptically. But then sighed. Nothing else he'd tried had worked. He let his eyes drift shut and concentrated on what Alec suggested. He was tired, frustrated, and actually a little hungry. Alec's voice continued to talk to him softly.

"All right, you're hearing the word, Hellmouth. How does the voice sound of the person who says it?" Logan let himself float in his mind. There had been a difference in remembering that word. He let it flash in his mind.

"Soft," he answered. "Quiet. Familiar."

"Okay," Alec continued. "Was it a man or woman talking?" That answer was easy enough.

"It's a woman."

"And how do you feel when you think about her?"

"Safe, loved," he answered quickly. "Young." That answer puzzled him for a moment until it all began to click in his mind. The soft voice, the scent of perfume that seemed to linger in the air. He opened his eyes and stared at Alec in shock. "It was my mother. She's the one that said it."

"Really?" Alec's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that and he was pretty sure that Logan hadn't either. "Did your mom know about Egyptian stuff?"

"No," Logan shook his head. "At least I don't think so."

"Okay, close your eyes again," Alec instructed. Logan complied quickly. "Now picture your mom. She's saying the word. Where is she?"

"In the kitchen," Logan answered, the image of his childhood home coming to his mind. "She's talking on the phone."

"Are you there?"

"Yeah," he grunted. And he could see himself. A skinny kid, with too large glasses perched on his nose, scribbling something or other in a notebook. "I'm doing my homework." His eyes popped open again. "Huh? That was a long time ago."

"I don't know," Alec smirked. "Seems to me you're always doing your homework." He gestured at the computer and Logan smiled too.

"No, I remember it now," he explained. "When I was a kid. I had got home from school and my mom was on the phone. She was talking with her cousin. I had homework and while she was talking, she made me a snack so I could eat while I was working."

"Ah, I see. What were they talking about?" Alec wondered.

"Ah not much," Logan shook his head. "Same stuff as always, just catching up with each other."

"So why would your mom say Hellmouth." Logan's eyes widened slightly.

"That's right1" he snapped his fingers. "It was something her cousin said to her and I think she repeated it. Something my cousin said. Well, my second cousin. About the town they were living in."

"Well," Alec said firmly as he stood. "Now you know."

"Yeah," Logan agreed, then shook his head, but this time with a smile. "Still doesn't help, does it?" He turned to regard Alec for a moment. "That was a neat trick. Where'd you learn that?"

Alec thought for a moment before answering and when he did, his tone was so flippant that Logan knew immediately it was a touchy subject. "You pick up a lot of things in Manticore. If you're subjected to them enough."

Logan wisely held his tongue as Alec then continued to flip through the pages. "Hey! Here it is," he announced. He pulled the paper out of the ream and brought it over to the desk. They looked at it together.

"Offered freely?" Logan snorted. "What the hell does that mean?"

A/N2- Thank you for the kind reviews. Coming up, Logan makes the Sunnydale Connection and a road trip seems to be in the offing! 


	5. Chapter Four

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

Chapter Four

_May 14th, 2021_

The glyphs on Max's skin continued to come and go. And by this point, there had been a total of seven show up. Including the most recent one, right over her heart. Or as she continued to silently correct, Zack's heart. The first few glyphs had faded away for the most part. Until Max, who'd been slightly relieved by this, was scrubbing at an ink stain on her palm. Her eyes had been drawn naturally downwards to the new hieroglyph that was positioned underneath where the very first had been. And then she'd glanced cursorily at the blank space above. She was so much more wary of the possibility of a new glyph popping up; much like it had when Biggs had been with her at the bar. And that was when it had struck her.

Instead of finding smooth, caramel colored skin; there was the faintest outline of the old glyph. She'd stared at it, puzzled, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. But she'd shaken her head to clear it and looked again. But it was definitely there. Just a faint trace of the puzzling mark. Almost as if instead of fading away, it had chameleonized itself and sank into the camouflage of her skin.

She'd said nothing of this to anyone else. It was as good as gone. She, Alec and Logan had already spent enough time trying to figure out what they were, why they'd appeared and what they meant. She hoped that they'd disappear completely, given time. As they had copies of the glyphs both on Logan's hardrive and what he'd printed out, they were too much of an intrusion on her skin. And it was only when she emerged with her skin slightly raw after a blisteringly hot shower and Original Cindy noticed, did Max realize how much she hated what was happening to her body. It was almost on par with the heats she'd endured.

And so now, Max was sitting at home, alone, wary of going out in public, scared that one of the glyphs would appear in a place much more visible than her hands or shoulders or chest. It was certainly not the kind of exposure any of their kind needed. Because while it was certainly a unique occurrence so far among transgenics, the ordinaries didn't know that. And if they didn't know, they usually made things up.

On the days that Max did go out, she did so only in the company of Alec, Biggs or Original Cindy. Alec and Biggs had asked if she'd wanted any other transgenic or transhuman in on this, again going on the assumption that the more eyes working on this, the better. She'd agreed reluctantly, and only because whatever it was rising up on her skin might involve them too. So Biggs had approached a transhuman he knew by the name of Luke. He'd passed along the information but the outcome was just as dismal as their own.

The trio of Biggs, Luke and another transhuman named Dix, working in Terminal City on this had found out exactly the same information as Logan had, albeit at a slightly faster rate. But that was to be expected. Even Logan admitted that he should have thought about turning some of this over to them. His excuse, that he wasn't used to having a group of brilliant strategists, linguists, polyglots and computer experts at his fingertips, was totally acceptable. In Logan's circle of contacts, he was top dog when it came to computers and other things. ( see note at end)

Max thought of all this again as her finger absent-mindedly rubbed at the latest glyph over her heart. It was an odd shape, one that Alec had recognized immediately, though she'd had Cindy take the picture of it. He'd memorized all the printouts Logan had made and had only to glance at the camera's preview screen to tell her what it was. She would have memorized them herself, but didn't want to drive herself crazy with wondering what might come next. And this one was bad enough.

Sacrifice.

She smiled wistfully as she recalled Alec's flippant remark about the glyphs not describing an event, but her. Or maybe more accurately, her life. At least some of them had. The first describing the inferno they'd created when Manticore blew, both times. And then the resurrection. When Zack had let her live again. And she had in turn, given a new life, freedom to the others. And Alec had been right, when she felt like it, she did have a hell of a mouth on her. And of course, the last one, the sacrifice. Was it Zack's sacrifice of his heart and life? Was it hers of giving up her freedom in the name of the same? She could ponder those because at least they had some semblance of meaning behind them.

What puzzled her, all of them really, were the other three glyphs. On the surface they were easy to understand. Offered freely. It had made sense when the sacrifice glyph had shown itself. A sacrifice was only defined so because it was offered freely. That was why she was more inclined to think that it was about Zack. After all, that one had appeared in the most conspicuous spot. But then why had the offered freely glyph appeared when it was already defined later in the sacrifice glyph? That was the puzzling part. The others, "full moon of five" was worked out to be the full moon of the month of May. Pretty basic and strange because it was so straight forward. The one that had followed after was the kicker of them all. "From beneath you it devours". Freaky that the Egyptians had one hieroglyph that said all that. They'd had no idea what that meant, of course. And they'd spent many wasted hours just kicking ideas around.

Max sighed, rubbing her head where an ache was beginning to form at her temple. She just wanted this done. The phone rang, startling her for just a second. But figuring that it was important, she felt she should answer. After all, people didn't idly call her to chitchat it seemed. "Hello?"

"Max," it was Logan. "Get over here. Bring Alec."

"Wha-!" she gasped. She'd never heard him so impatient before. "Why? What's going on?"

"I think I've figured something out," he went from impatient to exasperated. But Max needed no more impetus.

"I'm on my way," she affirmed. She hung up from that phone call and was dialing Alec's cell phone with one hand while the other was reaching for her jacket and motorcycle keys.

"Ya got me," he answered cheekily, "now what are you going to do with me?"

"Get your ass in gear over to Logan's" she instructed without any preamble. To his credit, Alec didn't waste his breath either.

"Got ya," was all he said.  


"You've figured it out?" Max asked breathlessly as she rushed into Logan's apartment. She'd never taken a second to wonder why he'd asked for Alec to come too. They had both individually figured that seeing how Alec had been right in the thick of things and had worked just as hard as they to decipher this problem, he deserved to be in on the final result.

Alec had arrived seconds after her and had quietly followed her up to the corner penthouse. He shut the door behind himself, when she had just left it gaping open. He could understand her relief to get this over and done with. But he didn't figure they needed any Tom, Dick or Harry passing by and eavesdropping. Not that the people in Logan's building would. They were all too well bred for that. Or too discreet at it. Alec wasn't sure which it was.

Logan looked up from an old tattered box he was digging through. "Max, Alec, good. Glad you're here. Sit down." They obeyed immediately and took in the mess that Logan's living room had become. Which was completely out of character for him.

Alec gestured around and caught the older man's attention. "You know Logan, I think we might start worrying about you if you keep this up."

"What do you mean?" he grunted, puzzled. Alec smirked and gestured at the papers on the floor.

"You haven't been eating," he ticked off on his fingers. "You look like crap. I doubt you've left the apartment for days. And now this mess. Tsk tsk. Not like you at all."

"I've been eating," Logan grumbled as he ducked back down to dig through the box some more. Alec had to smile as his second admission floated to his ears. "Just nothing gourmet."

"Okay," Alec teased, grabbing at his chest. "I'm truly worried now. Max! Call the doctor!"

"Cut it out!" she snapped back, jumping to her feet as she fixed both of them with a glare. Perturbed enough that even Logan felt the heat of it and pulled his head back up to gaze up at her innocently. "Logan what was so important that we had to come over?"

"Oh, right," Logan nodded and readjusted his glasses. He pulled his hands form the box he'd been digging through and turned to digging through a pile of papers on the coffee table. And then on the floor. And then through where they'd slid off the arm of the couch. Alec sighed and slid from his seat to start gathering up papers strewn about.

"What are we looking for?" he demanded a little tiredly. He'd definitely had enough of straight paper products in the last two weeks.

"Geography paper I wrote when I was a kid," Logan grunted, still scanning the papers he held. "It's titled something like 'A Geographical and Historical Comparison of Zaragoza, Spain and Sunnydale, California'." Both transgenics stared at him with something akin to amused horror. He seemed to notice their looks and furrowed his eyebrows together. "What? That was the assignment."

"Okay," Max said slowly as she exchanged glances with Alec. She turned back to Logan. "And can you tell us why this paper is so important that you called us over, acting as if you'd had some big break through on the problem that, even as biased as I am, is much more pressing than this walk through memory lane?" By the time she'd finished her mini-rant, her chest was heaving and her face was flushed. But before she could continue, Logan realized how the situation looked.

"It's important because like I told Alec, the word Hellmouth kept bugging me," he reiterated. Alec paid no attention as he continued to sort and rifle through papers, pulling some order from the chaos. "And once I remembered where I'd heard it," he paused to gauge her reaction. He'd figured correctly that Alec had filled her in because she waved him on. "Then the word inferno started to bug me. I finally realized that I'd read it before. From this paper I did when I was ten or eleven." He gestured around. "Isn't it lucky my parents saved everything I did really well on."

"Yeah, great," Max announced unenthusiastically.

"More like obsessive," Alec muttered from his position on the floor, but neither paid him any attention.

"I don't think it's here," Logan grumbled as he flipped through another pile. "It'll be easy to spot, because I drew a bright purple map of Spain and a blue map of California on the front page." Both transgenics stared at him in that same look that was starting to lean away from the amusement and more towards horror. Alec rolled his eyes and commenced rifling even faster.

"Well Logan," Max said quickly to keep the situation from degenerating at all, "why don't you tell us about it while we look? What was in the report?"

"Oh, it was great," he enthused. "I picked Sunnydale cause my mom's cousin had just moved there. And we were supposed to find another town somewhere in the world that closely related to the place in the States and write about their similarities and their differences in economics, landscape, history, that sort of thing."

"Wait?" Alec's head snapped up. "Your mom's cousin? The same one who…?" Logan nodded happily.

"That was why I picked Sunnydale," he explained. "I really idolized my cousin. I mean my second cousin, and I wanted to know more about where she was living. And when I found out that the town had Spanish roots, I chose Zaragoza. It's the capital of Aragon," he recalled happily.

"Wait," Max threw in her two cents. "I'm not getting this. What's the connection?"

"Oh," Logan seemed to suddenly realize that Max and Alec weren't completely on the same page as he. "Like I wrote, Sunnydale, or the spot that Sunnydale resides in was originally founded by Spanish settlers. But their name for it was la Boca del Infierno. Which translated means-!"

"The mouth of Hell!" Alec translated immediately. He glanced at Max. "Well damn."

"And this is the connection that we've been looking for?" Max asked, growing excited. Logan nodded happily. Finally they were getting somewhere. And then he recalled what he'd done with the paper. He jumped up, dislodging the box from his lap.

"I remember now," he smiled. "I put the paper in the study, so I wouldn't lose it while I went through this other stuff. I'd forgotten there was so much of it." Both transgenics gave him an exasperated look that was so similar that he laughed. "I'll go get it."

"Yeah, you do that," Alec encouraged with a small growl. He watched Logan amble out of the room and then turned to Max. "Can you believe this?" he chuckled softly as he held up a simple stick figure drawing of three people. A childish hand had written 'Mommy, Daddy and Me' in the lower left corner. Max snatched it from his grip, a wistful smile gracing her face.

"I guess there's something good that comes out of this parental pride," she muttered as she set the paper on a nearby pile.

"What's that?" Alec asked as he continued shuffling papers together.

"Do you really think that after the Pulse, we'd have had all that information handy about Sunnydale and Zaragoza?" she giggled. Alec ducked his head and smiled as well. Just then Logan returned.  


An hour later, they were still arguing.

"I don't care Alec!" Max snapped for about the dozenth time. Alec ran his hand through his hair, thoroughly disgusted and frustrated with her lack of regard for herself. "I'm going."

"Alec's right Max," Logan butted in. He'd been watching them go back and forth. And he knew that Alec knew how stubborn Max could be. But he felt the need to at least try once more. "You don't know what you could be walking into. Just because the glyphs refer to a place and not an event don't mean that the others are the same. For crying out loud, they even give you a specific time."

"Which I intend to beat," Max explained again. "I go to Sunnydale, check things out and be outta there before the moon even begins to think of getting full."

"There's nothing to check out," Alec threw his hands up in the air. "Logan's already said that it's just a ghost town now."

"So then there's nothing there that could hurt me," she shrugged simply.

"That's not true Max," Logan sighed. "What if White's group have set up camp there and are trying to lure you there?"

"Why would they choose Sunnydale?" she rolled her eyes. "Out in the middle of nowhere, where they'd have to ship supplies in. It's too far to conveniently get me there with a simple ruse. I really doubt that the Familiars are involved at all." She glared at them both. "I'm going and that's final."

"Fine," Logan bit off caustically. He and Alec shared a look.

"And we're going with you," he decided. There was no discussion needed on this point at all. He was long used to looking out for Max when he could. And he knew that though Logan had the full intent of giving her up as his girlfriend, he still wanted Max in his life, even if it was as just a friend.

"You guys-!" Max began, but Alec cut her off.

"No arguments!" he growled menacingly. But Max simply smiled enigmatically.

"I wasn't gonna," she shrugged.

_May 15th, 2021_

Max hugged her roommate good-bye. She'd explained the situation to her best friend, who hadn't cared much beyond the point that her friend was leaving again. Of course both Max and Alec had neglected to tell her that there was a chance Max might not come back from this. But if the trio had their way, they'd be in and out of Sunnydale before the full moon came about. It gave both transgenics, who'd never really dealt with esoteric matters, strange shudders.

Which was why they were going now. It was still a little over a week until the full moon. And with sector checkpoints and whatnot, it would take them a good four days to get there. That was with Logan figuring out contingency plans if they ran into fuel shortages along the way. And in this day and age, it was a very likely prospect. If they went now, and arrived within their planned four days, that gave them two days to scout around and be gone before anything could happen to Max. Alec and Logan didn't like it, but she was determined. As she'd said to them the evening before, she just wanted it over and done with. Since it was her body being turned into an esoteric chat board, who were they to argue.

Max picked up the bag she'd packed with what essentials she could find. Even going so far as to raid their cabinets for food. Logan had worked far into the night getting the logistics of this trip worked out. Alec had hotfooted it over to the guy they knew that produced forgeries to get hold of travel papers for all three of them. And Max had packed what she could. As they both waved good-bye to Cindy as she rode out for work, Max wondered at what excuse Alec had given Normal this morning.

She figured that as he was the favored employee and a little more inventive in excuses, he should be the one handling Normal. "So what did you come up with?" She stooped to pick up her bags and they headed to where Logan was waiting for them in his car. She saw Alec's puzzled glance. "About work?" she clarified. He nodded.

"Ah, nothing much," he shrugged. "I told Normal that your skin infection got worse and the doctor was worried that it got into your bloodstream. And of course, with your heart transplant last year…" he trailed off. She said nothing and he finished the excuse. "So I'm taking you to see a heart specialist in Los Angeles."

"He bought that?" Max frowned. She knew that she'd never given any sign of weakness physically in front of her anal retentive boss.

"Infections are tricky things," Alec smiled. "Anyway, he knows that we'll be gone for two weeks, while the docs out there, run some tests on ya. I'm going for moral support. And because Cindy hates to fly."

"No she doesn't," Max countered automatically. But then she realized what he'd done and why. "But Normal doesn't know that, does he?" She grinned, now understanding what Alec and Cindy had been talking about earlier. "And if we're flying and spending two weeks with the docs, that'll cover our real travel time by car." Alec threw her an exasperated glance that it took her so long to put it together. She simply gave him a light shove and made for the car.

There was a moment of indecision as she approached. Logan had left the back hatch up and she threw her gear in, next to Logan's and Alec's. But as she thrust the door down and listened to it click shut, she wondered about where she should sit. The decision was taken from her when Alec hopped into the front seat. As she climbed in the back, she sighed internally. It made sense for him to do that. After all, she and Logan weren't together. And she didn't relish trying to keep her virus-laden body from accidentally brushing against his for four long days. But he could have asked.  


They'd been on the road for a few hours, silence pretty much reigning in the car. They'd managed to get through the outer Seattle checkpoint with little fuss. And since no one was really hungry and they all had different tastes in music, there was nothing to provide a distraction. But finally Alec spoke up into the silence.

"So tell us about this cousin of yours," he suggested to Logan. "The one you idolized so much."

Logan glanced at the younger male sitting in the passenger's seat, wondering if the interest was genuine or if Alec was just reaching for anything to stave off his boredom. But the ingenuous look back that he received convinced him to answer.

"You mean Buffy? Oh, she was great."

Note- for those who are unaware, linguists are those that study languages. Polyglots are those that speak many languages. (There! A day isn't wasted if you've learned something new!)


	6. Chapter Five

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

A/N2- Someone asked if I was going to be including AtS Season 5's Illyria in this fiction. And sadly no I am not. The reason being that I have not yet seen that season and so wouldn't feel comfortable writing about a character that I am not familiar with in any way other than what the episode guides say. Sorry to disappoint, but I hope you do enjoy the cameo's of past characters that I will bring into the fiction down the road.

Chapter Five

_May 15th, 2021_

Alec stared at Logan, as the older man grew uncomfortable under his scrutiny, until the word finally burst from his mouth. "What?" Alec just shook his head. Logan heard a muffled giggle from the backseat and glanced up into the rearview mirror in time to see Max trying to hide her smile. He couldn't help but grin back. He looked back at Alec expectantly.

"I'm sorry, but you have a cousin named Buffy?" Alec shook his head again. Max continued giggling and Alec twisted around in his seat. "And you can't laugh. Remember Ralph?"

"Hey, you're the one that suggested that," she retorted quickly. "It's not my fault that she liked it."

"Okay," Alec agreed cocking his head to the side, "but at least it was a normal name. Unlike Fixit or Zero or Bugler."

"Well at least they were descriptive," she snapped back, although there was no rancor in her voice. "And those are nothing compared to Logan's family. I think I've lost track of all the Bipsy's and Mitzy's." She glanced at the older man and was relieved to see that there was a grin on his face as well.

"Well that was just my father's side," he explained. "Buffy was kind of the exception to the rule of nice normal names on my mom's side. And you still can't talk."

"What do you mean?" she demanded. She could see the glint in Alec's eye as well.

"Honestly," Logan chuckled. "Who names a kid Krit?"

"Zack," she supplied immediately. "Who was a kid himself, so don't pick on him."

"Well see there," Alec laughed. "That's a good argument, but it in no way helps you or Logan's cousin. Or Krit," he added. He turned to Logan. "So does your cousin despise her name or has she learned to live with after all these years." Neither one expected Alec's teasing question to bring about the pain that swamped Logan's face.

"Logan?" Max asked softly, immediately. Logan sniffed once and then glanced back at her.

"Sorry, it's nothing," Logan assured them. Alec's question hadn't done more than bring up many memories, not all of them good. But he couldn't have known that. "Buffy passed away when I was twelve." There was a short moment of awkward silence.

"Sorry man," Alec offered gently. He could see that it was something that still pained Logan. But the other man just waved one hand.

"It's okay," Logan shrugged. "It was twenty years ago. I've had plenty of time to get over it." He continued to drive, even as he seemed lost in the memories. A small shudder went through him. "That was a bad year." He seemed to continue on, talking more to himself than them. "Too many funerals. Too much pain. And Dawn…"

"Who's Dawn?" Max asked quietly. And it seemed to bring him out of his thoughts. Another smile graced his face.

"My other cousin," he clarified. "Buffy's little sister. She was closer to my age."

"Oh, did she idolize her older sister too?" Max asked with a grin. She could certainly empathize with those feelings, even if the kids in her unit weren't true blood siblings. And it brought the grin out on Logan's face even more.

"Oh yeah," he chuckled. "Every time we visited or they came to see us, Dawn and I would follow Buffy around incessantly. Drove her nuts. Especially when she hit her teen years."

"How much older was Buffy?" asked Alec, puzzled. Logan thought for a moment.

"Seven years," Logan frowned. "She was born in January. I was born in November. Dawn was a year older than I was. And we had a lot more in common."

"Yet you still looked up to Buffy more?" Max asked. She'd thought plenty in the past on her own familial relationships. But she'd never really considered how Logan, an only child, might substitute cousins for roles that were lacking in his own immediate family.

"Well sure," Logan shrugged, his eyes still on the road. "Well, when I was really little, and they would visit she was always taking care of me. Playing games with me. We had fun."

"And as you grew up?" Alec asked. He was finding just as much interest in a subject that had never really related to him as it had Max. Logan glanced at Alec, seeming to find the best way to describe his elder cousin.

"Okay, imagine the generic television stereotype of life in high school," Logan began and already Alec was nodding. His love of television was just another little foible among them. "You had your jocks and nerds and popular kids, all that stuff."

"And what was Buffy?" Alec smirked as if he already knew it. Logan shared a conspiratorial grin.

"Cheerleader," he grunted. Alec sighed in appreciation.

"Was she hot?" He had to duck as Max's fist flew through the air straight to his shoulder. "Ow! What?"

"That's really insensitive Alec," she seethed. "You jerk."

"So what," he whined. "She's dead. Do you really think she's gonna care if I ask what she looked like?"

"But that's not what you asked," she pointed out triumphantly. He rolled his eyes and glanced at Logan who was trying to hide a smile. Thank goodness there was someone who understand. He dipped his chin and widened his eyes until Logan got the message.

"Yeah, Buffy was pretty," Logan chuckled, slowing down a little as he took in a road sign in serious need of a new coat of paint. Apparently he was speeding, if only slightly. "And nice. But once she started to grow up, things were different."

"How so?" Max asked.

"Well, all of a sudden boys and clothes were so much more important," he gave an uncaring shrug. It was a fact of life with some kids. Buffy just happened to be one of them, where popularity meant everything. "I mean, whenever we saw each other over the summers and vacations, she was still nice to me, but she just didn't have time for me. She was always on the phone." He thought some more. "I guess the reason I looked up to her so much was because even while she was part of the in crowd, she never was mean to me. She was everything I wanted to be, but wasn't."

"Hot, blonde, popular, able to bend your body in impossible positions?" Alec teased. Again he received another light swat from Max.

"Why do you assume she'd blonde?" she demanded.

"She was a cheerleader," he shrugged.

"Not all cheerleaders are blonde Alec," she huffed.

"The good ones are," he laughed with a glint in his eyes, just daring her to reply. Then he'd be all over her for indulging herself in teen high school flicks herself. Obviously she realized this as well and kept her peace. They were quiet for a moment as Logan continued to drive. Finally Alec picked up the thread again.

"So how did your cousin die?" he asked carefully, but Logan didn't seem perturbed by the question. He just gave Alec a wary glance.

"That's a long story," he sighed. Alec glanced out the window, watching the trees on the roadside flashing by.

"It's not like we haven't got time," he grouched. Logan grimaced and gave a little twitch of his shoulders.

"I guess."

Max leaned forward, interested despite herself, but also sensitive to Logan's feelings on the matter. "You don't have to tell us Logan."

"That's okay," he smiled sadly back at her in the rearview mirror. "Like I said, it was a long time ago."

"So what happened?" Alec nudged.

"She killed herself." Logan had to restrain his laughter. Not at the thought of what his cousin had done, but at the wide-eyed shock of the transgenics. It wasn't often that he could catch them off guard, but he definitely had here. He could just see their thoughts. How did a pretty, popular teenager get to the point where suicide was an option?

"Oh, wow," Max finally muttered. "That's just…" She wasn't sure exactly what to say. She couldn't really say she was sorry, for she didn't think she had anything to be sorry about. But it seemed to be the word to use in uncomfortable situations like this. But if Logan was really as over it as he said, then she didn't need to make him sad. There was already enough in the current events of their personal lives to do that.

"It sucks," Alec announced while Max was floundering for words. "Why'd she do that?" And unlike her, he had no compunction about asking. Especially since Logan was in the mood to answer.

Logan sighed and shrugged one shoulder. "There were a lot of contributing factors," he went on. "And there was a lot of stuff that I didn't know, or figure out until I was older." He gave them a brief smile. "People don't like to tell little kids stuff like this." Both transgenics knew that Logan only meant to convey what his experiences were, but it just seemed to undercut the fact that as children, they were never saved from the gory details. In fact, in some cases they as children, were the causes of the gory details.

"Go on," Max prompted softly.

Logan sighed as he readjusted his hands on the steering wheel. "It started long before I ever knew that there was something wrong," he began. "I mean, I knew something was wrong when I heard that Joyce and Hank were getting a divorce. Buffy and Dawn's parents," he explained unnecessarily. "I think the reason I was so upset about it was because I was afraid that my parents would get divorced as well. But then, I was six, maybe seven years old."

Alec picked up on what Logan was implying a little quicker than Max had. "You seriously can't tell me that they broke up because their kid was having problems?" he demanded incredulously. Although he shouldn't have been surprised. People were so eager to dump off responsibility of their own problems on whatever was convenient.

Logan shook his head. "I don't think that was the only reason, but it did contribute to things," he explained. "No, when she was 15 Buffy started acting out. Complete turn around in her personality. All the stuff that used to be important to her, she dropped. Friends, cheerleading, school. And then, she just lost it completely."

"What happened?" Max spoke up from the back seat. Despite not knowing any of these people, she was interested. Perhaps because it was something that shaped Logan into the person he was today.

"At a school dance," Logan sucked in his breath and then spoke quickly as if to get something painful out of the way, " she burned down the high school gym and her parents had her committed."

"Whoa," Alec's eyes widened. Logan's cousin was a pyromaniac? That really didn't gel.

"Yeah," Logan scoffed his agreement. "She was in the institution for about a month and a half. I think it was then that Hank and Joyce finalized their divorce. I remember that Dawn came to stay with us for a few weeks. She was a mess."

"I don't doubt," Alec murmured with a glance back at Max. She seemed lost in thought, but he was quite prepared to let her be. Hearing this had to remind her of Ben, even if the situations were totally different. And he wasn't far off. Max who had thought of Ben, was musing on the things that could make a child snap. There had to be a reason behind it. Even if it was as Manticore had assumed in Ben's case, simple genetics. Maybe this Buffy had some depression or condition, an inherited condition that caused it. It could have been the environment she lived in. Or maybe it was something deeper.

"After Buffy got out of the mental institution, she and Joyce moved to Sunnydale," Logan continued. "Joyce found work at an art gallery there and the public high school didn't seem to have a problem accepting Buffy."

"What about Dawn?" Max asked, sensitive from experience about the break-up of siblings. Logan and Alec had picked that up from her immediately, but it had long been part of her nature, to equate things around her in how she could relate to them. Everyone did it and so there was no reason for them to comment on it.

"She stayed with Hank then," Logan answered. As a child he'd felt bad for the girls. In truth, hadn't even known that Buffy had been committed to a mental institution. It was only a chance conversation between his parents that clued him in to the fact. And being older and wiser, he'd begun to piece things together.

"So did Buffy continue her wild streak?" Alec asked with a mild undertone of humor. Personally, he was able to remain fairly detached from the story, not really knowing the people aside from Logan who had been involved.

Logan shook his head. "Everything seemed okay after they moved, for a while anyway. But then, let's see, I was about ten, my mom got a call from Joyce. Buffy had disappeared and she was wondering if Buffy had come to us."

"Disappeared how?" Max demanded. The thought evoked shudders through her. When unit members or others disappeared in Manticore, it was never to a good end.

"Well, at first we thought she'd run away," Logan offered, including himself in the 'we', but in truth it was more of the same as before. Leaving the child out of the loop. And leaving him to piece this together when he was older. "But then later Joyce told my mom that Buffy had been accused of murder and kicked out of school. They'd had a big fight and Joyce kicked her out."

"Did she do it?" Alec asked softly. Logan shook his head quickly.

"No! Eye witnesses at the scene cleared her," he spoke vehemently. As messed up as his cousin had been, he was proud to say in a twisted way, that murder had been beyond her. "But she ran away before they cleared her."

"Where'd she go?" Max asked this time. Both transgenics were appreciative of how this story was helping pass the time and the more he spoke, the easier Logan seemed to feel.

"Back to LA," he shrugged. "But she went home after a few months."

"So if things had improved so much but then she was accused of murder, was that what made her snap?" Alec wondered. Logan made as if to speak and then seemed to reconsider. Obviously Alec had brought up a point that he hadn't thought much of.

"That may have been part of it," he sighed as he pursed his lips. "But since it seemed to be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't know. Maybe to her it was a contributing factor to whatever was going through her mind."

"I think it probably did," Max's voice was slightly shaky, again her empathy was getting the better of her. "She was kicked out of school, hunted like a criminal, isolated from family and friends. How could it not affect her?"

They mulled this over for a few minutes. "I don't know," Logan finally conceded. "Although she went home and things seemed to go back to normal. She was accepted back into school. They really couldn't deny her, seeing how she didn't murder that girl."

"Why would the school be concerned about a murder if she didn't do it?" Alec asked. "Aside form the obvious implications that she could be a danger?"

"Oh," Logan realized he'd left out details, and plenty of them. But the whole life story of his cousin could fill up many car trips. "Well, the girl was murdered in the school." Both transgenics nodded. "But as I was saying things were good again. I remember when mom and dad got a call from Joyce to tell us that Buffy had been accepted to Northwestern University." He smiled at that. The whole family had been excited about it. It seemed to be a mark that Buffy had made a turning point.

Even Max and Alec understood how big a deal that was. Before the pulse, Northwestern had been a fairly prestigious school. And students needed good scored to get in. This thought also occurred to Logan. "She apparently scored really well on her SAT's. 1420 or something like that." Neither commented since those tests had been abandoned in favor of more comprehensive tests that had developed over the years. Alec briefly wondered if some of the testing that had been performed on transgenics in classroom settings might have contributed to that change. After all, their beginning in life had been prompted by human desire to produce something better and research the hell out of it.

"So the family was all proud, huh?" Max smiled. But Logan's face fell.

"Yeah, we were."

"But then?" Alec prompted.

Logan took a deep breath before relating the next. "At her graduation, the high school blew up." As he'd expected, their eyes widened suitably.

"Was it… your cousin?" Max wanted to know, puzzled at how he'd phrased that.

"Well, the official police report was that a gas main exploded," Logan retorted; though the expression on his face convinced both that he certainly didn't believe it.

"But you don't buy that?" Alec chuckled.

"I don't know," Logan confessed. "But given her history, it really made me wonder." He paused, mulling it over again. "But maybe it was the city gas lines. I mean, if you ever look into the history of the town, there was a lot of strange stuff going on. Even before Buffy and Joyce moved out there."

"Like what?" Alec frowned. Weird stuff? How weird could a town be? But Max wasn't so dismissive. She was reminded of the time she and Logan had gone to Cape Haven. Of course, it hadn't so much been the town that was weird, as the residents. But then, they'd been hiding a pretty big secret. She supposed that that was more likely to occur in small towns where everyone knew everyone else's business. And they got protective. That's why she liked the anonymity of larger cities like New York, LA and Seattle.

"Well, the yearly death count is amazingly high," Logan shrugged. "Yet all the other crime rates fall within the normal expected parameters of a town that size. And cemeteries. They have over twenty, both in and out of city limits."

"Well you know, that makes sense," Alec laughed. "High death rate, they need someplace to put them." Logan tilted his head back and forth as if acknowledging that statement.

"Yeah, but the thing that gets me," Logan started to rant, "is that the people living there never seemed to notice anything. I looked into it again later, with what records did survive after the Pulse. And the majority of cases were closed because people thought to be eyewitnesses either recanted or couldn't recall any details to move a case forward. And the cops certainly didn't seem to be inclined to do anything useful."

Alec turned minutely in his seat to arch a discreet eyebrow in Max's direction. Maybe now they were finally finding out where Logan's determination to take down corrupt sector cops and politicians originated. She simply gave a small shake of her head and clamped her lips together, silently warning him not to bring it up. She was still interested in this story and didn't want Logan getting sidetracked. Alec sighed and turned back to the other man.

"But they went after your cousin, didn't they, for that murder? That's doing something?" he pointed out.

"True," Logan conceded. "But I don't think they ever did apprehend the actual murderer, even with the information given them."

"Did your cousin ever have any more run-ins with the cops then?" Alec continued, also wanting to get Logan away from his soapbox.

"Surprisingly no," Logan smiled. "Like I said, after she got accepted into University, we were all kind of relieved. Although, in the end, she decided to stay in Sunnydale and attend the local college. Everything went good. Until Dawn moved in with them, I guess."

"Something happened with Dawn?" Max asked quickly.

Logan glanced up in the rearview mirror to give her a reassuring smile. "Mostly sibling rivalry. And apparently a lot of yelling and fighting. Remember, there was a six year gap between them."

"What difference does that make?" Alec demanded, puzzled. It was Max's turn to giggle.

"For teenaged girls, a lot," she explained, as if he should already know this. "Plus I imagine that Buffy got used to being the child whom everyone focused on. Probably didn't like having to share her mother again. And from what I understand, younger sisters are generally considered brats." She bit the inside of her cheek, wondering if Alec knew that she was considered the baby of her unit. When he said nothing further, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. Well, at least he couldn't tease her about that. She turned her attention back to the older man. "But what made Dawn move in with them. I thought she was staying with her Dad?"

"Uh," Logan had to think a moment, as this had been something else hidden from him at that age. "Oh yeah, a blonde secretary, a trip to Europe and a child didn't seem to mix," he offered scathingly, making it perfectly clear what he thought of his cousin's father. Alec just grinned. It made sense to him.

"So aside from the sibling rivalry, things were still good, huh?" Max muttered.

"They were," Logan acknowledged, but then his face grew troubled. "Until Joyce got sick. He concentrated directly on the road as he spoke, unable to meet either of their gazes. Loss was loss no matter which way you cut it and it still had the power to make him ache. "She had a brain tumor. The doctors operated and removed it. But several months later, she had an aneurysm. Buffy was the one to find her."

"Poor kid," Alec murmured. Silence reigned for many long moments. And soon Logan was pulling off the road, into a small motel along the highway. As he rolled into the parking lot and slowed to a full stop, he rested his hands at the top of the steering wheel, seeming to intently study the tips of his blunt fingernails.

"That was the last time I ever saw Buffy. At Joyce's funeral. A few months after that, Buffy was up on some construction site. She leapt to her death. We didn't even know until six months after that when Hank and Dawn came to say goodbye to us. Even Hank had only found out that his daughter died a few weeks before that." He turned to the others and they could see the lines of strain, deepened by this remembrance. "Do you guys mind if we stop here? I'm really tired."

Max offered him a soft smile and a nod. Logan barely glanced at Alec, but the transgenic male made no protest. Logan opened his door and slipped out. He shut the door softly and moved up the wooden steps leading into the motel office. Alec turned around completely in his seat and eyed her speculatively.

"You know," he muttered, "that sure explains a lot."

"What does?"

"That whole story. Now I know exactly why Logan has a thing for you."

"It does not," she protested faintly. He just pinned her with a knowing look.

"Yeah Max, it does."


	7. Chapter Six

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

A/N2- I could find no indication of where Joyce Summer's grave was located, so I used the name of one of the more common cemetery's from the show. If anyone knows differently, please let me know.

Chapter Six

_May 15th, 2021_

"I'm serious Max," Alec announced again as Max sat in the backseat of Logan's Aztec, looking just a little stunned. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about this, just that he did. While Max may not have seen the obvious implications, or may not have wanted to, it certainly went a long way in Alec's mind to explain why Logan was the man he was today. And why he admired Max so much.

"You think that Logan likes me because I remind him of his cousin?" she finally gasped. She tried to control the shudder that went through her. She'd had people believe that they knew her, or that she was familiar to them. But never had she been a substitute for a long dead cousin. And the fact that Logan thought of her in a manner that was less familial and more in a certain sexual way, well that just weirded her out. Alec was obviously not playing with a full deck on this round.

"He said it himself Max," Alec shrugged. "He idolized her. Those were his exact words."

"But I'm nothing like her," she protested. "For one, I'm alive."

"And that's another good point," he mused. "One I didn't even think of."

Max's eyes widened; slightly horrified that Alec was actually thinking things like this through. "I don't want to hear it Alec. This is just plain sick."

Alec studied her for a moment, wondering why she was taking such offense at his words. In fact, if she thought about it, it should have been very flattering, for her. But then he realized what she was getting so huffy about. Obviously she realized that he was substituting her in as the person Logan admired most. And because Logan was sexually attracted to her, the most likely conclusion was that Logan had been sexually attracted to his cousin. Which Alec didn't discount at all. Now if he could just get Max to see it. "No it's not," he replied seriously. "Max, sexuality starts at a lot younger age than puberty." He had to hide his grin as she averted her face to hide the sudden blush.

"Whatever Alec," she mumbled, slightly mortified that she was having a sex talk, with Alec of all people and he was trying to instruct her!

"Not whatever," he said calmly. "Kids learn how to be a man or a woman by the examples they have around them. Little boys learn the expectation of how to be a man by how their mothers react to various men. They learn what's acceptable for men to do and what not to do. If Logan's mom's demeanor said it was acceptable for men to behave like gentleman, then that's what he'd pick up on. That's how he'd behave, because his mother expects it."

"And how does that relate to his cousin?" Max demanded. She was stunned that Alec had any insight to this at all, considering how they'd grown up.

"Like I said before," Alec continued, keeping an eye out for Logan's return. This was something he was sure neither one wanted to discuss in front of the older man. "Logan idolized his cousin. And he said that she was never mean to him, no matter how nerdy he might have been. Even though you'd think that they had nothing in common besides being related." He pinned Max with his penetrating gaze. "Have you ever belittled Logan because of his computer skills or disabilities?"

"No!" she protested. "Logan not being able to walk on his own has never been a problem to me. It's just another part of who he is."

"Right," Alec nodded. "And probably in his youth, Logan didn't always like who he was. He said, Buffy was everything he wanted to be when he was young. At least personality-wise, I'm hoping."

"Alec!"

"The point there is, that she never treated him like there was something wrong with him," Alec pointed out. "And with his mother being proud of his scholastic abilities, he learned that it was okay to be… well, geeky."

Max tried to hide her smile. Logan did exude that quality a lot of the time, to others. But she saw it more as dedication. He didn't talk computers for computers sake. They were just a means to an end for him. "And I reinforced that ideal because I accepted who he was and what he did as normal?"

'Got it."

"Okay, I'll give you that much," Max sighed. "But as to the rest…"

"I do have more, Max," Alec frowned. Her expression clearly said, _'like what?'_. "Okay, Buffy setting fire to her high school gym was pretty extreme." She nodded at that. There was no argument there. "But as a child, I don't think Logan understood all the implications behind it. He said himself that he didn't figure it out until he was older. So as a kid, he probably thought that what she did was really cool. Isn't it every kid's dream to get rid of the institution that traps him or her for so long in their life? And blowing up her other high school. He obviously believes that she did that."

Max's mind was rapidly processing this. "Oh my God. I did the exact same thing in his mind."

"Exactly," Alec's smile was so completely smug that Max felt like smacking him just on general principle.

"But he thinks she was…" she shrugged and then for lack of better word, announced, "crazy. But he doesn't think that of me."

"No," Alec agreed. "But you had a logical reasoning behind what you did to Manticore, both times. And Logan knew it. That made what you did acceptable, while he couldn't understand Buffy's reasoning." He glanced up then, realizing that Logan had exited the building and was heading back to the car. Instead of heading to the driver's side, he moved around to the back and opened up the hatch.

"Good news," he announced through the opening as he pulled his bag from the pile in the back. "They had two rooms available. So I took them both. There's a single and a double. We can sort it out inside." He left the back door open so that the transgenics could retrieve their items. With a significant look of wonder, Max then clambered out of her seat. Alec sighed and followed behind. If he left the rest of this unsaid, Max would end up turning it over in her mind until she justified that she was right and he didn't know what the hell he was talking about. He didn't know why it was so important, but in a way it was.

The pair retrieved their bags and Alec shut the hatch. They followed after Logan, who had the keys for their rooms. When he came to a halt outside one door, they just waited. "So how do we want to do this?" Logan asked quietly. "The single room also has a small sofa. But the double doesn't."

"I don't care where I sleep," Alec shrugged.

"And I don't really need to," Max sighed. Therefore, the two rooms should have been split between the men. But she couldn't stay in Logan's room just because she lacked anywhere better to go. And she didn't want to stay with Alec, because he'd insist on continuing their previous conversation.

"You may not need to, but occasionally you do," Logan pointed out, referring to her sleeping habits. "How about this? Max takes the double room. That way you can sleep if you want. Alec and I can share the other room." He turned to the younger male. "We can decide who gets-!"

"I'll just take the sofa," Alec decided swiftly. Even though he usually slept longer than Max, he was used to rougher conditions. "Is there a TV?"

"Might be?" Logan smiled. He'd inquired about the amenities because he knew Alec would ask. He'd been informed that some rooms did, but he couldn't recall if the receptionist had confirmed a set in the single room or not. He held out the keycard for the double room to Max and she took it gingerly, careful not to touch him and glanced behind her. The corresponding number of her card was on the door behind her. Logan turned back to the door he'd stopped by and easily swiped their card through.

The door opened and Logan turned back with a polite smile. "Good night Max."

She returned the smile. "Good night Logan, Alec." Alec said nothing, as Logan stepped into the room and turned on the light switch. Max sighed and turned to open her own room door. But as she was about to slip in, Alec's hand caught her arm. She glanced back, a frown upon her lips. _'I'll talk to you later'_, he mouthed. She sighed in irritation, but nodded. Knowing Alec, there was no way she could avoid it. He followed Logan into their room and shut the door behind himself. Max followed suit with her own, hoping that maybe there was some hot water and she could scrub away these mildly disturbing sensations crawling all over her skin.

True to his word, a few hours later, Alec was knocking quietly at her door. Max, who'd been reclining on the spacious double bed, reading the Gideon stamped Bible in the bedside table, set the book aside and rose to answer. She opened the door and stepped back to let him in. He did and looked so delighted that she puzzled over it, until she followed his gaze and it landed on the television set. He made a beeline straight to it. Max rolled her eyes and shut the door he'd left open.

"Come on in Alec," she muttered sarcastically. "Make yourself at home. Sure, watch TV when I thought we were gonna talk." Alec just threw her a sarcastic glance as he turned the set on, lowering the volume so that it produced a little noise.

"The set in the other room doesn't work," Alec supplied. "Plus it's a good excuse if Logan wonders why I'm over here."

"I don't think he will," Max replied as she took a seat on her bed again. "He was pretty tired. Did he go right to sleep?" Alec nodded. Max took a deep breath. She'd thought quite a bit about this as she'd had her bath. "You know, I'm willing to give that there might be some similarities between Logan's cousin and I, but they are purely superficial."

"Maybe," Alec shrugged and took a seat near her, on the floor, leaning back against the bed. "Look Max, I didn't mean anything bad or perverted, no matter what you might think."

"Bad no," she smiled. "Perverted, yeah. That's just the way your sick mind works. You always have sex on your mind Alec."

"So, I'm male," he stuck his tongue out at her. "That's completely acceptable."

"Not this time," she warned. But Alec was shaking his head.

"Max, there's nothing perverted in what I suggested. Look at it this way, little girls learn to flirt with their fathers. Everyone thinks it's so cute and adorable, so she keeps it up. That doesn't mean that she wants to have sex with her father. It's a learning process. Guys go through the same thing. At least in the normal world they do," he added with a touch of sarcasm. Max's eyebrows were almost arching off her forehead. "And even just two hundred years ago, it was acceptable for people to marry distant cousins. Probably still is in some cultures. But it isn't acceptable to people in these days. So Logan had an admiration for his cousin, but anything beyond that was taboo. Marrying his cousin would have been a cultural and societal wrong. When you came back from Manticore with the virus, that would kill him, there was probably a transference of his feelings, making him put you on an even higher pedestal because he was equating the situation to the one with Buffy."

"Where the hell did you learn this crap?" she demanded, aghast.

"Basic psych was mandatory," he retorted quickly. "We had to know how to manipulate people in certain situations. Understanding familial connections was a useful tool," his voice slowed and was soft and slightly hesitant, "especially if you needed leverage over your target. Family was the quickest way to achieve the objective."

Max watched him, realizing just how much lately she'd been confiding in him. There hadn't been a lot of turnaround, though she knew about Rachel and what had happened there, in the resulting death and guilt Alec still carried about it. She wasn't the only one with skeletons in her closet. But a new thought occurred to her. "You said basic psych?" implying that what they were discussing was hardly basic.

"Sex is a tool," Alec recited in a monotone voice, obviously recalling the manner of instruction they'd been given. "Sex is also a weapon. Like any weapon, you must understand it to fully utilize it." He glanced up with a suddenly cheeky grin.

"That's scary," Max giggled.

"What?"

"I know we were taught that our bodies were weapons, but…" she dissolved into helpless giggles. Alec smiled as well and when she'd calmed down, spoke again.

"But can you ever tell me that you haven't used your sex appeal as a weapon?" he demanded. And she glanced away. "Don't worry Maxie. Even the norms do it. You see it all the time."

She wanted to get away from this topic, so she brought up the only other thing she thought that Alec would latch onto, though it was still as distasteful. But maybe less so than before. "So what other things do you think I have in common with Buffy?"

"Oh couple of things," Alec shrugged. "There's the obvious abandonment issues that Logan feels he shares with you."

"What!" she screeched. "I wasn't abandoned. And neither was Logan."

"Weren't you Max?" he smirked. "Didn't you feel like Zack abandoned you when he made you split up when you escaped?" She couldn't refute that, since she'd said so herself to Alec before, when they'd discussed Ben. "And Logan probably felt abandoned when his cousin killed herself. And before you argue, that's a common feeling in situations like that for the survivors."

"Okay, okay," she gave in. That was probably an easy one. "Anything else?"

"I don't know Max," Alec sighed, frustrated. "It's just a whole bunch of things all put together, not any one thing. I mean, you even technically died on what was really a suicide mission."

Okay, fine," Max rolled her eyes. "There are some similarities. But it's coincidence. And there's one thing you didn't take into consideration."

"What's that?"

"Most of that stuff happened after Logan and I met, so it doesn't apply to me," she stated triumphantly. "Logan didn't meet me and go, 'hey, she's just like my dead cousin'."

"That's very true," Alec conceded and let her have a moment of seeming victory. "And I'm not saying that Logan even realizes himself why he likes you so much. But you keep saying that you guys weren't "like that" for so long. And when you finally did get there, it was only after you'd known each other for a long time."

"Yeah, so?"

"I think that the more that Logan got to know you, the more of Buffy he saw in you," Alec stated firmly, but quietly. "But like I said, I don't think he's thinking about this stuff. It's things that he's learned from his past and things in his subconscious that he hasn't bothered to analyze."

"So you think that Logan doesn't like me for me at all? To him I'm just the grown up version of his cousin?"

Alec wanted to deny that, he really did. But it was what he was thinking. Not to a certain and total extent, as Max was making it out to be. Because Max had her own charm. And without knowing Buffy himself and being able to make the parallel between the two, he could only go on his supposition and gut instinct. "I think it's just a part of the larger picture. Because face it, you and Logan have nothing in common. At all. Your childhood's, the class you're accustomed to hanging with. Your ideals, your hobbies. Nothing."

"That's harsh Alec," Max whispered. She went slack, her shoulders hunching over as the veracity of his statement hit her. He really believed what he was saying.

"Not harsh Max," he corrected. "Real. You need to find someone who can care about you for who you are. Everything that's good and bad about you. You've already broken it off with Logan. I told him and I'll tell you too. If you can't be friends with him and nothing more, then you should remove yourself from his life."

"I-!"

"Can you do that Max?" he questioned softly. Max glanced up at him and was held by the sincerity in his gaze.

"I really don't know," she answered honestly, exhaling sharply. She hadn't thought of Logan as a mere friend for a long while. But she also knew that Alec was right. "I'll just have to learn to do that, to be just his friend again."

"Yeah, you will," Alec nodded, then hefted himself to his feet. "I'm going to bed. Night Max."

"Night Alec."

_May 21st, 2021_

Just inside the Californian border

"Damn it!" Max swore loudly as Alec leaned over the Aztec. "It'd be quicker if we just stole another car."

"Well, I'm sorry," Alec snapped back, his words slightly muffled by the opened hood over his head, "that Manticore decided that diagnostics and repair wasn't my specialty." He grunted and Max heard metal clanging on metal. "Try it again Logan!" he called out a little louder. Max turned to see Logan straighten up in his seat with a sigh and tried to turn the engine over. It didn't even crank up a little. Logan reclined in his seat again, already having admitted that he had nothing to contribute on the subject of engine repair. So he felt it better to stay out of the way and away from the bickering transgenics. Especially as he was readily susceptible to migraines from their arguments.

"Did you check the carburetor?" she demanded. Alec glanced sharply at her.

"Yes Max I did, the first time you asked that?" he grunted.

"Alec, you just looked at it," she protested. "You need to take stuff apart and look inside. You know, you don't have X-ray vision."

He pulled back out and straightened quickly, brandishing the wrench he was wielding at her. "You wanna do this?" he snarled. Max arched an eyebrow and snatched the wrench away. She made straight for the carburetor and within half an hour, she'd found the problem, and it wasn't good. Even telling Alec 'I told you so' didn't make her feel better.

Of course it was just their luck that the first town they came to did not have a parts store that was open. Or a junkyard. So they were forced to take a motel room for the night. And in the morning, Max headed over to the parts store and hoped that they had a fuel intake valve that would fit Logan's car. They didn't. But they did give her directions to a guy back in the direction they'd come from, who might have the part she needed. So Max had hightailed it out to the farm road they'd passed by in the dark.

Luck found her there as the old guy had a valve that would fit her needs. And since she was already out so far, she decided to keep going. Alec and Logan were starting to worry when she pulled up to the motel parking lot, with the Aztec running once again with a comfortable purr. Max was just relieved they weren't delayed more. With all the freaky things that had been happening lately... Well, she didn't believe in bad luck so much, but she just didn't want to chance anything.

_May 22nd, 2021_

"Man, Logan," Alec whistled in a low tone as he looked around the grayed buildings and decrepit streets. "You really weren't kidding when you said this was a ghost town."

Max stared out the window, a chill shuddering through her, despite the warmth of the car and outside. The feeling had been getting stronger ever since they pulled into the outer city limits. Everything was just so gray. And for someone who'd lived the last couple years in Seattle, home of the rainy gray, that was saying a lot. "What happened here?" she whispered, as if raising her voice would raise the dead. "Was it the Pulse?"

Logan shook his head sadly, as the car idled at a lonely stop sign. There was no reason for him to have stopped, except for them to take a moment and absorb the desolation of the place before they forced their way through the streets. "No, it was well before that. Another one of those weird things that happened. A few months after Buffy died, people began abandoning the city. But some stayed. And then, after Hank came and got Dawn, I heard on the news that there was an earthquake of horrific proportions."

"Then why doesn't it look like it?" Alec demanded, perplexed. Because while there was some damage to the buildings, roads and sidewalks, there was nothing that could indicate a natural disaster like that.

"Strangely enough, it was centered completely around the old high school," Logan mused thoughtfully. "There were theories about how it was a minor fault line that caused the gas main to crack and then years later, erupted itself. But with the amount of rubble already present, sealed itself after about twenty minutes. If I remember correctly."

"Well," Alec sighed, "at least there's one good thing about getting here."

"What's that?" Logan glanced at him.

"We beat the full moon," he smirked. He turned his head to check Max's reaction, but she was leaning against the glass, staring out the window still. She made no sound and her brows were furrowed with whatever thought was occupying her mind.

"Yeah, we did," Logan confirmed, not unaware of the lassitude of his friend. "So that means we have a whole night and day to check things out."

"So what's our plan?" Alec questioned. "Max?"

"Huh? What?" came the unsteady response from the back seat.

"Um," Logan began before Alec could repeat his question. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to go see… the graves."

"Of course Logan," Max sighed with relief. Something about this town had her so on edge that even as much as her curiosity about the glyphs was piqued, she'd turn around right now. If only she hadn't made such a big deal about taking this trip.

"Yeah," Alec consented. "That's fine with me."

It took a little bit for Logan to figure out where they were going, having to reference an old phone book they finally found at a corner stand to find the address of the cemetery they were looking for. Restfield Cemetery. Admittedly, all the graveyards had nice sounding names like that. But there was no disguising what it was when they pulled up to the gated wall surrounding the consecrated earth. Once they entered the park-like area, but for the headstones and tombs, the transgenics allowed Logan a little distance to deal with this attempt at closure.

Logan walked up and down the rows, looking. He'd just been a boy when he'd been here last. And time and other momentous events had dimmed a memory that he thought was burned in his mind. But at last, he located his mother's cousin's grave. He crouched at the headstone and traced his fingers over the name, wincing as pieces of stone crumbled away under his fingertips. Alec and Max stood at the foot of the grave, looking on uncomfortably. Finally the older man stood up fully and began to walk away.

"Aren't you gonna…" Alec wasn't sure what the right terminology was for this kind of procedure. Say goodbye? Surely Logan had done that. Commune with the dead? Not quite right either. "Your cousin's grave?" he finally muttered, hoping Logan would get the gist.

"Oh," Logan chewed at his lower lip. "Buffy's not buried here. Dawn told me when I saw her last."

"Ah," Alec nodded. "I just figured, you know, family. Probably buried together."

Logan shrugged. He certainly hadn't been privy to the family's strategy when it came to grave planning. "Well, Buffy's buried in a place called Breaker's Woods, just outside Sunnydale. You can stay here and start looking around if you want," he offered. Without waiting to hear their answer, he began the return trek to the vehicle.

"So do we stay or go Max?" Alec asked, watching as Max shivered again and wrapped her arms around her middle. She began walking after Logan and Alec followed quickly. Her quietness was starting to worry him.

"We stick together," she decided assertively, though her words were quiet. As they passed through the gate, she chanced a glance up at the not quite full moon. Was it her imagination, or was there a slight tinge of red around it? She shook her head and pointedly refused to look again. But she couldn't help the shudder passing through her. "We need to stick together." Because she really didn't have a good feeling about this now.


	8. Chapter Seven

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

A/N2- Portions of this chapter were taken from the BtVS Episode "Bargaining Part One" written by Marti Noxon and David Fury.

Chapter Seven

_May 22nd, 2021_

Breaker's Woods, outside Sunnydale

Near midnight

"I got to tell ya Logan," Alec smirked as he stared down at the crumbling gray headstone that marked the older man's cousin's grave. "You have a weird family." There was no response from the figure kneeling beside the stone. Not that he really expected any. But ever since they'd entered these woods, the hackles on the back of his neck had been on the rise. He glanced back at Max, who was once again huddling into herself. Her arms were wrapped around her middle and he could see white knuckles peeping out from underneath her elbows. Whatever was bothering him, it was bothering Max just as much, if not more. She hadn't said a word once they'd gotten back into the car.

"I mean, "she saved the world a lot"," he continued on, speaking more to break the preternatural silence of the forest than any other reason. "What does that mean? Was she supposed to be some sort of super hero?" The epitaph on the grave marker had puzzled them all and Logan seemed to have shrugged it off. He'd already explained that it was Buffy's friends and Dawn who'd chosen the stone and words. Alec figured that there must have been just a pinch more of hero worship left in the younger sister to choose something like that. He sighed.

Standing about like this was not accomplishing anything and Alec had the very real desire to get the hell out of Dodge. Or Sunnydale, as it was. He backtracked over to Max. "I'm gonna have a look around." He was given no response and he glanced up at the sky. There was little to see aside from treetops and stars. But the moon peeked through at them if he craned his neck just right. He stared at the woman before him, but she was staring through him. "Max!" Her startled face came up to meet his gaze. "I'm going to take a look around." She nodded slowly. "You wanna come?" She shook her head and then resumed her morose staring contest with the ground by Logan.

Alec chose a random direction and ambled off a little ways. The trees seemed to close quickly around him, but he had no fear of them. The choking sensation that had been creeping up his body seemed to ease the further he got away from the grave. And while he was occasionally given over to a bit of fear, which was healthy in his mind, (What better way to stay alive, right?) the fear that was present in this space was not originating from any of them. But Alec dealt with the real world. Wishes, hopes, dreams, weren't really for him. Others could have that. They could wish for a better world. He had to live in this one. He was almost lost in thought when a voice filtered back to him.

"Does everybody have their candles?" it was a feminine voice and one Alec knew was not Max. He tried to pinpoint where it was coming from and as near as he could discern, it was back from the way he came. He turned around as the woman's answer came.

"I'm trying," another woman, again not Max, said. "My lighter won't stay lit." He took a few steps forward, wondering what idiotic kids were doing in the forest with candles near midnight. Probably doing a séance or some other stupid thing, he assured himself. Still, it wasn't exactly polite for them to have chosen that exact time and place when Logan was trying to get some closure in his mind and life. Not that Alec was really concerned about that. But they really didn't need people questioning why they were here, aside from Logan's sojourn to his cousin's grave.

"Well hurry, it has to-!" the first voice came again. But it was another woman's voice that made him run. Because it wasn't often that Max truly panicked and he could hear it in her voice as she and Logan called for him.

"What?" he gasped as he burst through the trees again. His eyes widened as he took in the new people gathered around Buffy Summer's grave. Max had panicked because people had shown up and were playing with candles. He glanced at her, perplexed. "Who are they?" he asked in a calmer, quieter voice, but Max was shaking her head.

"What time is it?" a blonde asked as she held a candle before her. The only man of the group checked his watch.

"A minute till midnight," he answered, his voice tight.

Alec took in the scene, not quite used to being completely ignored. The other group hadn't even acknowledged his burst of frenzied running into this little clearing. He turned to Max and Logan and was struck by the looks of mutual horror they wore. "What's the matter? I don't get it."

Max managed to unwind her arms from their seemingly permanent position around her waist and stooped to pick up a piece of deadfall. "Watch," she murmured. And before Alec could protest, she'd hurled it straight at the group. Alec's eyes widened and his mouth gaped as the stick flew through the bodies before them and landed with a thunk against the trunk of a tree across from them.

"What the fuck!" he half-yelled.

"Exactly," Max growled. The other group had kept talking, if it were possible. Could ghosts talk? Is that what they were seeing? But now, the foursome had moved to encircle Buffy's grave and they knelt around it. Three of them held candles, but the fourth held some kind of urn. The redhead with the urn knelt at the foot of the grave.

"What the hell is going on?" Alec asked in a slight breath.

"My God," Logan gasped out, finally coming out of his startlement. "Those were Buffy's friends. I knew they looked familiar."

"Her friends?" Max gaped. How was it possible for Buffy's friends to be here this night? Things here just weren't adding up. But Logan was nodding.

"I vaguely remember them from Joyce's funeral," he explained. "That's Willow, I think," he pointed at the redhead. Then to the blonde who'd been unable to light her candle. "And Anna, I think." His hand moved to indicate the male. "I know he's Xander, because Dawn used to have a crush on him. And the other one's name is Tara, if I remember right."

"What is she doing?" Max demanded suddenly, her eyes trained on the redhead. The ghostly figure was pouring something into the urn.

"Is that blood?" Alec demanded, even though both transgenics could clearly smell the iron tang. Even Logan felt a small familiar tickle in his nose as somehow the breeze caught the lingering scent and carried it to them.

"Osiris, keeper of the gate, master of all fate, hear us," the redhead intoned as she dipped her finger into the urn. Her finger came away bloody, of course and the trio watched in sickening fascination as she daubed the blood over her cheeks and forehead. "Before time and after," she continued. "Before knowing and nothing." She picked up the urn and with a twist of her wrist, upended it, letting the blood trickle out over the earth. "Accept our offering. Know our prayer."

"What the hell is she doing?" Logan demanded in a strangled whisper.

"Is this what we're here for?" Alec whispered. "Are we supposed to stop this or something." He made to move forward and see what effect a real person in the midst of the circle might accomplish, but Max's hand on his arm stayed him.

"Wait," she commanded her voice much calmer than it had been. Both Alec and Logan looked at her, not understanding the suddenly calm facade that had taken her over. "Be quiet." They stilled, though were still uneasy. There was a moment of tension among the foursome and suddenly the redhead, Willow jerked backwards. Logan winced as her arms flew out to her side and deep ugly gashes began to appear.

"Is this some sort of bloodletting ritual?" Alec whispered, really trying to get a handle on what he was seeing.

"Be quiet," Max ordered again. He snuck a sidelong glance at her and decided that in the mood she'd been in tonight, perhaps it was better to do as she suggested and wait. He turned back to see the male, Xander, reaching for her, but the blonde with the longer hair, Tara, was stopping him.

"She t- she told me… she'd be tested," the woman stuttered. "This is supposed to happen." Neither of the other two looked reassured.

"Osiris!" Willow yelled. "Here lies the warrior of the people. Let her cross over."

"My God," Logan whimpered. "Are they trying to resurrect her?" He was aghast. Alec shared the feeling. Whatever else Buffy might have been, she must have been crazy and had in turn, attracted crazy people to her.

"They're not really here Logan," Max assured him, her voice steady. "I think this was in the past."

"Then how come we're seeing this now?" Alec demanded harshly. He was a soldier. And soldiers dealt in reality, not this hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo. Willow let out a low moan of pain and the trio turned back their full attention to the scene. None were just content to let the scene play out before them, but seeing how the bodies seemed to be noncorporeal, there was little they could do. Aside from leaving. And like the scene of a car-wreck, their morbid curiosity forced them to watch.

Little bulges now, appeared under Willow's arm, moving upwards, almost following the path of her veins. Once at her shoulders, they crossed over her chest, converging at her neck and then moving into her face. Logan fought back the urge to vomit and Max carefully placed a steadying hand on his coat-covered arm.

Apparently he wasn't the only one bothered by this as Xander yelled out, "she needs help!" But Tara was quick to reassure him.

"Xander, she's strong!" she half-yelled back. "She said not to stop, no matter what. If we break the cycle now, it's over." Even as all members of both parties continued to watch, there came a rumbling noise that had the trio whipping their heads around to find the source.

"It's not here," Max said quickly.

"How do you know?" Logan questioned. She gestured to the foursome.

"They're reacting to it as well." Logan looked back and nodded. Anna, no… it was Anya was looking very perturbed.

"Oh God," Anya gasped. "What is that noise?" There were no assurances from the others. They knew as little as she did.

"Osiris, let her cross over!" Willow yelled again. But she couldn't say more as the mounds that had circulated under her skin moved again, congregating at her neck. She began to choke and gasp.

"Oh my God, oh my God," Tara panted, obviously torn between obeying the redhead and helping her friend. Willow fell forward, her hands bracing on the ground before she fell completely. Her mouth hung open as she gagged and all three, transgenics and ordinary reeled back as the head of a snake appeared in her mouth. Willow clutched at the grass in her fingers as her whole body went stiff. The snake slithered its way out of her body to slowly coil upon the ground, as Willow writhed.

"It's a test," Tara shuddered. "It's a test. Willow…" But the redhead was choking up the last little bits of whatever had been in her mouth. Wearily, she looked at the snake that had begun to glow with a slightly orangish red tinge. She pushed herself back up to a kneeling position and waved a hand to the others, as if to reassure them that she was as well as could be. Willow resumed her supine position and continued to call out to Osiris.

The light of energy that surrounded the viper in their midst grew until it was consuming the snake's entire length. With a strange hissing noise, the snake disintegrated, but the light stayed. It began to swirl, slowly upwards and then zoomed to swirl around Willow. The woman panted as the light seemed to buffet her back and forth. This went on for a few minutes as Willow struggled. Her spine went straight and her jaw worked furiously, trying to command instead of allowing the lights to control her.

"Osiris, release her!" she shouted again. The trio could hear now the rumbling growing louder, and the sound of someone running through the underbrush came to them. But when the figure burst through into the grove, directly behind Tara, it was someone not many of them expected.

"Willow!" The figure called, strangely calm for all the running. "I need service!"

"Oh God," Logan choked out, his eyes wide and unbelieving. "Buffy?" Alec threw a sharp glance at the older man. Logan had seemed to have missed a slight detail that he'd already picked up on. He glanced at Max, but she was watching in silence, her demeanor having changed little. He was about to speak and point out the strange energy that was crackling, emanating from the one Logan had named as Buffy, but the girl glanced around behind her and began to run again.

Whatever Alec was going to say was lost as new beings entered into the mix. The rumbling they'd heard, they should have recognized, having heard it before. The noise of many motorcycles. But it wasn't the foolishness of riding through such dense brush that stunned them. It was the things employing the machines. Strange hideous beings, the likes of which they'd only imagined in their nightmares. Or in Max's case, what she'd imagined was in the basement back at Manticore.

The things, nomalies circled after Buffy, trapping her. But more of them came, encircling the foursome as well. Logan had taken a step forward, after the phantom that was his cousin. He gasped and shuddered as one of the nomalies passed through him. The other group had moved as well. The two blondes and Xander were huddling together.

"Willow!" Tara screamed, lunging for her friend as one of the nomalies rode closer to her. It cut back, twisting the motorcycle to cut them off from each other. It rode over the grave, smashing the urn underneath it.

Willow's eyes went wide. "No!" she screamed. The light dissipated around her and she collapsed on the ground. The trio watched in fascination as the lights sank down to the ground, hovering over the broken urn. The rest of the scene faded, the voices lingering in the air. When silence had reigned for many minutes, Alec suddenly let out a loud whoosh of air.

"Holy fuck," he breathed. "What the hell was all that?" He turned to look at the others. Logan was staring in puzzlement over the direction that his phantom cousin had run off in. But Max, she was still focused on the grave. She moved forward and Alec could see her lips moving, but he heard no words. "Max?" Logan turned back to look at them, the expression on his face deepening. "Max? What are you doing?"

"My God, Alec," Logan gasped out. "She's glowing." Alec saw it as well, a faint light emanating from beneath her clothing. Strangely enough it seemed to match the faint light that had been left behind by whatever it was that Willow had conjured forth. The light that had begun in the viper. A light that was now twinkling over the grass that had grown back in the years since Buffy Summers had been buried. Logan hurried forward to that spot, trying to decipher what was still going on.

"Stay back Max," Alec commanded, grabbing hold of her sleeve. But with a simple circular sweep of her arm, she'd brushed his hold away and continued moving forward.

"Look!" Logan pointed out excitedly as he dug in the ground. Both transgenics came forward and knelt around the foot of the grave. Logan had pulled the grass and sod away, revealing a shattered urn. One that matched precisely what they had just seen. Logan looked at Alec, fear written in his eyes. "Could that have been real?" he demanded in a shaky voice. Alec was already shaking his head. Not because he didn't believe it was real, but because he was just as shaken as the older man.

"I don't know what that was," he admitted, exhaling slowly. "But your cousin…"

"Yeah," Logan grunted. "Out of all of that, she made the least sense. How could that have happened?" his voice was quietly anguished. He looked to Max, who was still quietly contemplating the broken urn. "She died. They were at her grave, yet she was there."

"I don't think it was really her Logan," Alec consoled, finally voicing his initial suspicion.

"What?" Logan shook his head. "She was a hallucination? She might have been. This whole damn thing could have been one."

"Except that all three of us saw it and that's not possible either," Alec argued. He glanced back at Max, his face hardening. "But right now we have much bigger concerns." Logan cocked his head and Logan pointed at the man's former girlfriend. "You know, like why Max is glowing."

"Oh," Logan mumbled. "Right. Or maybe more precisely why only parts of her are glowing?"

"Max?" Alec called, trying to get her attention. She'd shaken him off before and his grip was much more firm this time. He shook her arm and then realized that the glow was stronger at her shoulder. Suspicion took root in his mind and he moved his hand down to where her sleeve ended. Exchanging a warning glance with Logan, he carefully pulled the fabric up. Max did not react at all, which really worried the two men. And just as he suspected, the only part of Max really glowing, shining with that eerie red-orange glow was where her glyphs had been. With her still motionless, he dared removing the light jacket she wore. Once he'd done that, her head tilted. Alec recalled the way she'd been speaking with silent words earlier. He wondered who on earth she could be have a silent conversation with and if there might be something in Sunnydale air that made people crazy.

"No!" Logan yelped. "Max don't!" She was reaching for the pieces of urn that were glowing as well. Alec snapped his hand forward to prevent contact being made. But it seemed not to matter. Sparks erupted between Max and the ground. The lights flared up, blinding both men. But more than that was the resulting blast of force that threw them back, away from Max. When they'd recovered moments later, Max was encased in the same swirling vortex that had ensnared the phantom Willow. Logan darted forward even as Alec did. But while one intended to try and reach Max, the other was trying to prevent just that.

"Don't touch her Logan!" Alec yelled, thoroughly disgusted. The man had no sense at all. How many times was this now that he'd instinctively tried to make physical contact with the woman whose bare skin could end his life? Luckily though, Logan came back to himself and stopped short. Alec continued forward with some vague thought of pulling Max out of the lights in his mind. But the lights protected their own it seemed and knocked him back again.

"What the hell is going on?" Logan barked.

"Hell if I know," Alec snapped back. "That seems to be the freaking mantra of tonight, doesn't it?" His comment was not as humorous as he normally would have intended it to be. He was worried, they both were. But Max, strangely enough, appeared completely serene within the buffeting of the lights.

A strange dull roar filled the men's ears and the ground trembled slightly. The lights slowed their swirling, pinpointing on where the hieroglyphs had adorned her body. And as they moved, her body absorbed them, the twinkling orange glow sinking into her flesh as her body rocked slightly from the force of it. Seconds passed and then Alec once again tried to reach Max. He succeeded, if only in physical location.

"Max?" he gasped, shaking her slightly. She stared straight ahead still, not acknowledging him. "Max? Are you okay?"

"Damn it Max," Logan choked out, "answer!" But her only response was a low moan that rumbled through her throat. To both of them it sounded like a wounded animal. The moan grew in intensity until her mouth opened to emit a piercing shriek. They flinched back, never having encountered the power of her voice at full force. It was stronger than they could have imagined possible, even for a transgenic with enhanced lung capability.

Max howled as the lights that had only moments before entered her body, exited with more force than they'd exhibited previously. The light burst from her, coalescing into a large ball that hovered a moment only. She whimpered, teetering in a precarious back and forth.

_'Sacrifice accepted!'_ a preternatural, deep, booming voice rang out.

Max fell forward, landing on her face as the lights sank into the earth. She was unmoving and it took the men a second to realize, to hope that it was over. When it seemed it was, Alec darted forward again, wary of another invisible attack. But when he was able to touch her side with no ill effect to him, he breathed a sigh of relief. But he realized the ordeal was still on when he rolled her over.

"Son of a bitch!" he swore vehemently and spared a glance at Logan. "Stay back. She's bleeding." Logan nodded shakily and rocked back onto his heels, ready to help if needed. Alec swore again softly as he saw the blood in the form of the hieroglyph that had adorned her chest before it began to saturate the rest of the material of her shirt. He checked at her shoulder, but the blood was seeping so quickly that he couldn't tell if the same had happened on all the glyphs. "We need to stop the bleeding."

"Use whatever you have to," Logan ordered. "I'll go get my first aid kit from the car." He didn't wait for Alec's confirmation and was already hurrying away. Alec didn't spare a glance for him as he peeled off his own jacket and then shirt. Her shoulder, wrists and chest were all bleeding, though not as much as perhaps a second ago. Swiftly, he decided to concentrate on the danger zones first. He gathered her wrists together in one hand, trying to apply pressure by holding the injured insides of her wrists together. And with his other hand used his shirt to press down on her chest. He lowered his face to hers, turning his head so that he could feel her whisper soft breath against his cheek and breathed a sigh of relief.

Alec pulled back his shirt, still careful to maintain pressure on her wrists. To his relief the wound seemed to be seeping only slightly. He pressed the shirt back and then checked her wrists, finding the same thing. Whatever had caused her to bleed was thankfully only superficial. Alec took the opportunity to take her pulse, finding it strong and regular. He glanced up from his watch as he heard her moan.

"Hey Maxie," he spoke softly, encouragingly. "That's right. Wake up."

"Alec?" she asked in a whisper. He moved so that she could see him easily.

"Right here," he assured her. "Are you okay?"

She turned her face slightly so that she could see him fully. Her voice was slightly raspy, but she seemed fully alert. "What happened?" Okay, so maybe alert, but confused?


	9. Chapter Eight

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

Chapter Eight

_May 23rd, 2021_

12:16 a.m.

"What happened?" Alec repeated Max's question incredulously. "You're the one who goes all Linda Blair _Exorcist _on us and you're asking me what happened?"

"My head didn't spin around did it?" Max asked with a slight grimace.

"Oh no," Alec chuckled shakily. "Cause what with the ghosts from the past, and weird lights and dead cousin running around, not to mention the anomalies on bikes, that would have been weird."

Max glanced around warily, searching. "Where's Logan?"

"He went to get the first aid kit," Alec explained. Before she could give voice to her next question, he hurried on. "You're bleeding." He gave her a significantly heavy glare. "Right from where the glyphs were." The sudden averting of her eyes to a point beyond his right shoulder filled him in adequately. "The glyphs that you told us were gone."

Max wet her lips slowly, hesitant to speak. "I thought they were gone."

"You thought?" Alec demanded harshly. "And when did you figure out otherwise? And why the hell didn't you tell us?"

Max tried to sit up, but Alec pushed her back. Her eyes went slightly hard as she regarded him. "What does it matter?" Alec rolled his eyes and jammed one hand through his hair. "I noticed that there was still an outline a while ago. I didn't say anything because…"

"Because why Max?" Alec asked, his jaw clenched. She'd scared the hell out of him tonight. Logan too. Reassuring themselves that she was well physically only removed part of the worry. Something else had gone on tonight that they had no explanation for. The only link was Max and Alec had a sneaking suspicion that she knew more than she was letting on.

Her head turned and her eyes snapped back to his. "Because I didn't ask for this Alec!" she exploded. "I didn't ask to be some conduit for a whacked out failed resurrection attempt. I didn't ask to have these marks invade my body. When the marks faded, it was easier to pretend they were gone for real, than to- to admit that that my life is getting freakier by the damn day!" she admitted in a rush. It seemed to deflate Alec just a little. "There was nothing anyone could do. We didn't know anything."

"I know," he murmured. "I'm sorry." He chuckled quickly as her eyes widened. "What?"

"Empathy Alec?" she teased. "I never knew you capable of it?"

"Hey," he protested laughingly, if somewhat shaky, "I have a lot of hidden talents." The laughter died off and he glanced away, back at the headstone. "But seriously Max, you scared me, us."

"I didn't mean to," she offered, just as quietly. He looked back at her, anguish written clearly in his eyes.

"The last time I saw someone look like you did tonight," he admitted, his voice low, "was the morning after I got out of psy-ops. Shaving in the mirror." A shudder ran through him at the memory. "I don't ever want to see that again." Max stared at him, something about him that had irked her for so long finally falling into place. Alec was always so full of life. Always on the go. He always had a smart remark or a scheme. Nothing kept him down for long. Had it all been a façade so that he'd never have to have a quiet moment like that again? So he'd never have to see the deadness of eyes that told of the dying soul inside? Tears came to her eyes as this realization settled on her. But his own trembling lower lip told her that it was too painful to bring up. She forced her eyes to move lower.

"Where the hell is your shirt?" she demanded and was rewarded as he breathed a slight sigh of relief and a grunt.

"Had to stem the bleeding somehow," he shrugged, pointing at her chest. Max reached for the wadded up material back carefully. The bleeding had stopped and she tensed to sit up. Alec helpfully supported her, though she didn't really need it. Once up, she looked at her wrists, shivering at the unintentional bloody mess. Alec took his shirt from where it had fallen and dabbed at it, but it had already begun to dry and crust over.

"You should put your coat on," Max advised, without looking at him. Alec shrugged.

"After I've cleaned up," he half-smiled. "Don't want to get blood on my new leather." He glanced back at the headstone, a frown on his face. "Here, let's get you off this grave."

"Yeah, good idea," Max grunted. Alec stood and held out a hand to help Max to her feet, which she took quietly. She was fairly steady on her feet and just as she sank to sit at the base of the tree where she'd thrown the stick earlier, they heard Logan returning. He came into the clearing quickly, carrying the first aid kit and the transgenic's bags. Their matching expression, complete with raised eyebrows made him laugh, just a little, combined with the relief that Max seemed to be okay.

"I figured you'd need your bags," Logan explained, dropping the bags at the other man's feet. His lingering gaze at the bloody shirts explained that rationale, but Alec had the impression that Logan had other motives.

"You didn't have to bring the whole bag," he smirked as he reached for the first aid kit. Logan hesitated a moment and then seemed to remember that he couldn't help Max at the moment.

"Yeah, well, I don't like to pry into people's stuff," Logan shrugged. Max and Alec glanced at each other and burst out laughing.

"Considering your mission in life Logan," Max teased, "I'd say that's a little off the mark."

"You know what I mean," Logan smiled at her indulgently. He settled down beside her as Alec removed gauze, antiseptic wipes and tape from the kit. He held them up expectantly, then nodded at Max.

"Take off your shirt," he instructed.

"I don't think so!" she snapped instantly. Alec rolled his eyes.

"To patch you up," he explained, slightly annoyed. "Don't worry Max, you haven't got anything I haven't seen before."

"You haven't seen mine and you're not about to pretty boy," Max growled lightly.

"Well, it's not like he'll really see anything," Logan shrugged; though his voice was tight. But Max's sudden blush clued them in to her real problem. "Oh, ah, you are wearing a-! Well, I m-mean you have…"

"Goin' commando, huh Maxie?" Alec teased.

"Turn around!" she snarled, more so at Alec, though she indicated both men. They both turned so that they were facing away, though Alec continued to laugh. "I'll do it myself."

"Again Max, I've seen 'em before," Alec taunted. Logan's head twisted around, before he caught himself and went back to staring straight ahead of himself. "When?" the word slipped out before he could stop himself.

"I meant in general Logan," Alec clarified with a sigh. "And hopefully you have too. 'Cause I mean, Max said you were married and all. But if you didn't, then yeah, I could see why you'd divorce the chick."

"Shut up Alec," Logan ground out. The other man tried to hide his chuckles. He just couldn't resist teasing these two sometimes. They baited so nicely and always fell hook line and sinker.

"But you know, I suppose you could always be a leg man," he continued. "Yeah, I know this one hot mamma, she had legs up to forever. And strong, too. You wouldn't think so, but when they're wrapped around-!"

"Shut up Alec!" the other two yelled at the same moment.

He was quiet for a second, then turned his head slightly. "How're you doing Max?"

"Almost got it," she muttered. They heard the zip of her bag opening and fabric rustling around. "Okay, you can turn around again," she allowed them. Both men turned back, but Alec's head was tilted to the side and he was extremely quiet. Max had pulled on a tank top; the white bandage covering the glyph mark on her chest just barely showed above the collar.

"Alec?" Logan asked after a moment. The younger man's attention snapped to his face. Logan pointed at Max, "her shoulders?"

"Oh, yeah," Alec gave himself a small shake and took the gauze from her hands.

"What is it?" Max asked, her own head tilting.

"I thought I heard something," Alec muttered as he set about cleaning the blood from her shoulder closest to him.

"I didn't hear anything," Logan declared, but Alec didn't bother going through the explanation of transgenic senses over ordinaries. Max shook her head, indicating that she hadn't heard anything either.

"Probably just my imagination," Alec shrugged, though his body remained a little tense. He finished patching one shoulder and moved to the other. It was done just as swiftly and then he moved on to her wrists. They were worse than the others because of the double set of glyphs that had been torn from her, covering a larger area along her arms. Just as he was cutting the tape and smoothing it down, he heard it again. "There!" he remarked triumphantly. Max's head had turned to the side and Alec knew she'd heard it too. But Logan seemed to think he'd been commenting on his task.

"Here's some soap and water," Logan offered from the kit. "You can wash your hands off."

"Be quiet Logan," Max hushed. He looked puzzled and turned to look at what both transgenics were staring so intently at.

"What?" he asked quietly.

"We both heard it," Alec explained. "I just don't know what it is."

"Doesn't sound like anyone approaching," Max muttered.

Alec grimaced and shook his head, "Probably just some animal scratching around," he dismissed. He cleaned his hands and wrists off, where Max's blood had dried and then rifled through his bag for another T-shirt. Just as he'd pulled it on, the noise came again, longer this time. "Did you hear that?" he asked of both of them. Max nodded, and Logan had his chin thrust forward, still trying to catch the elusive noise. Alec worked on focusing precisely on that noise. Something about it bothered him, was familiar to him. When Logan finally decided he couldn't discern the noise as they could, opened his mouth, but a quick squeeze on his arm from Max silenced him. She shook her head and to further emphasize, placed one finger over her lips. Logan was slightly annoyed, but stayed silent.

The two transgenics tracked the sound effectively when there were no other distractions. Right to the grave. Alec's eyes grew large as the meaning and memory settled in on him. He dropped down to his knees over the earth, careful to avoid the broken urn. He pressed his ear to the ground and swore softly. He scrambled back, taking in what he assumed to be the measurements of the grave.

"What is it?" Max asked.

"There's something down there," he announced, slightly sick. The others looked nervous, again.

"It's probably just a badger, or something," Logan grasped for an explanation.

"Badgers don't dig from the bottom up," Alec snapped. Max stared at him or a moment and then turned back to the grave. Her hands reached for the ground, but Alec prevented her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to see what's down there," she announced quietly. But Alec was already shaking his head.

"You can't," he told her. "If you start digging from the top, you'll collapse the soil, cutting off whatever oxygen may be down there. That only works if you can come at it from the side." Max pulled trembling hands back to rest in her lap.

"What are you talking about?" Logan demanded, exasperated. "There's nothing there. Just a grave."

"I've heard this before," Alec explained, trying to remain calm. "I've seen this before. On one of my missions…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "Some of the mules were in the dessert, digging tunnels. One of the tunnels collapsed. He had to dig himself out."

"Why didn't anyone help?" Logan demanded quietly, though he was sure he knew the answer. Alec turned cool eyes towards him.

"Manticore believed they were expendable," he spoke quietly. "Some of us in the area wanted to start digging for him, but the other mules said no. They'd figured out how to get out of those situations because they've had it happen before."

"But that's loose soil," Max protested. "If we dig from up here, we'll get to whatever it is quicker and get it… out of there," she finished quietly. She looked at the headstone again. It seemed that the only possibility of what could be down there, the one thing they couldn't believe, was coming up at them.

Logan shook his head angrily, the same thoughts running through his mind. "There's nothing down there. Just her remains. It's just not possible."

"Right now I don't give a damn about what's possible and what's not," Alec told him steadily. "All I know is that someone or something is down there."

"But it can't be!" Logan continued to insist. "I mean we saw her, didn't we?" Max and Alec knew that he was referring to the vision of past times they'd shared. Alec shook his head.

"That wasn't her Logan," he told the older man, slightly sorrowed that he even had to say it. But encouraging that belief would just make the truth harder for Logan in the end. "I'm not sure exactly what, but I'd guess a robot or something along that line."

"How do you know that?" Logan frowned. Even if Alec believed that Logan was grasping at straws, Logan was aware too that it couldn't have been Buffy. He'd long learned not to always trust what his eyes were seeing. But the hope of having seen what had truly been her and not the bone-filled grave was deep in him now.

"For one thing," Alec sighed, "I don't know any humans that actually create blue electrical sparks internally. Secondly, she told Willow that she needed service. Wouldn't a human have phrased it differently?"

"But a robot Alec?" Logan scoffed. "This was twenty years ago. No one had technology like that back then." Alec simply turned to Max with a raised eyebrow.

"And when we were born?" he asked gently. Logan got the point immediately. Logan's head fell forward.

"I just can't believe them," he muttered. "If that really was a robot, that's how they covered up Buffy's death for so long. Why Hank didn't know."

"This is all great," Max interrupted, "but could we get back to the major issue here." Both men turned towards her. "You said the mules figured out ways to get out of this. Whatever is down there doesn't have that luxury."

Alec shook his head. "The coffin would be down there. There's oxygen, however stale it's become. As the soil gets looser, gravity will take it down. And the air will come up to fill the new empty hole. If… she can keep up…" he trailed off at Max's horrified face. "What?"

"The coffin," she breathed. "That's what those first few noises had to have been." Alec realized what she was getting at and nausea swamped his throat. Logan understood as well as he shuddered.

"She'd have to break through the coffin," he whimpered. Was this what they had come all this way for? To have his cousin restored to him, just to lose her again because they hadn't been prepared? "We have to get her out of there!" All thoughts of denying what was truly happening had fled from him. His cousin needed him, now.

"Logan stop!" Max cried out. "Look!" She pointed towards the head of the grave. Sure enough, the grass and dirt was starting to sink lower. Losing whatever supports it had.

"Get ready," Alec warned. He moved to the head of the grave, trying to approximate where she'd come through. Max took up position across from him. They both watched intently, with Logan breathing heavily in anticipation.

Within moments, a large portion of the grass crumbled down in upon itself and they could see bloody fingertips emerge, close to Alec. He reached his hand out, prepared to grab hold when he could get enough to grip with. When the tip of a palm emerged, Alec slid his hand under it and the fingers curled around him reflexively. Another hand came up and Max copied her friend's motions.

"Now!" Alec rapped out harshly. Both transgenics pulled upward as quickly and as gently as they could. Arms came out and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the figure exploded from the grave. Alec swung his free arm around her ribs opposite him and began to roll backwards to pull her out completely. Max let go of the hand she had as the pair fell back upon the ground.

Alec's body registered immediately the fact that it was definitely a woman in his arms. But his mind was racing, cataloguing her reactions. She was coughing, her head bowed into his chest. The smell of dust and fresh soil emanating from every pore, climbing in intensity every time she coughed. She tried to gasp in precious oxygen, but it kept causing a paroxysm of choking coughs.

"It's okay, you're safe," he whispered. He could feel her heartbeat, thudding, racing against his skin. He held her gently, feeling the fear emanating from her. He kept repeating his mantra of soothing words and soon she began to get the coughing under control. At that point she tensed up, realizing that someone was holding her and tried to pull back. Alec accommodated her as much as possible, calling on his muscles to move them both to a sitting position.

The woman's eyes darted around the clearing, seemingly unable to focus on anything. Until her eyes landed on the headstone. She froze and then her head swiveled to the right as she took in the massive upheaval of the ground. Alec smoothed her disheveled hair away from her face. All three got a good look at her.

"Oh God!" Logan breathed out. "Buffy!" Her head snapped around to face him, unease evident in her large eyes. Her mouth opened, but no sounds came out. Logan started forward, "it's me. I'm your cousin. It's me, Logan!" He darted forward, causing Buffy to scramble backwards. She collided with Alec and spun her upper torso around to face him. Alec made no motion to support her again. He kept his movements slow and highly visible as he brought his arm up to take her hand. He knew instantly that she was suffering from a deep, traumatic shock. He'd seen the signs of it before.

"Logan, don't move," he instructed in a soft, lilting voice. Buffy's eyes focused on his lips and her head inched forward to make out his words. He directed them to her again. "We're not here to hurt you. You're safe." But for all the gentleness he was displaying, she couldn't seem to relax. Logan moved forward again, not realizing that he'd stepped suddenly into her peripheral vision, surprising her. She reacted instantly, pushing Alec back and scrambling to her feet to meet this perceived threat. Her hands were curled into fists. Every one had frozen at her movement. But the headstone caught her attention again. She moved forward slowly, her hand reaching out to it. Her movements were slow and jerky now, as if she couldn't understand what she was seeing. But as she noticed her own hand, bloody, fingertips mangled, she let out a whimper.

It didn't surprise Alec at all when Buffy ran. He swore softly then turned to Logan. "Where's her house?" he demanded harshly.

"Uh, Revello Drive," Logan shook his head, trying to remember long ago information. Alec looked over the other man's shoulder and Max was nodding already. She understood what was going on a little better than Logan and what Alec was asking of her, making the words unnecessary. He turned and began the trek after the not so dead after all cousin.

"What's he doing?" Logan demanded, whirling around to ask Max. He turned back and took a few steps before Max's voice halted him.

"Let Alec get her," she instructed. He turned back to her, incredulous.

"She's my cousin Max," he told her quietly. She came forward to soothe his feelings as best as she could.

"I know Logan," she bit her lip, holding back a little exasperation. Why was it when she'd been the one to go after her family to help that he always advocated caution? Of course, it wasn't anything like her situation, where she was dealing with potentially being captured and hauled back to Manticore. But whether Logan realized it or not, there was a danger here. And it was to Buffy's mind if nothing else. "But right now, she's hurt, she's confused, scared probably."

"That's why we need to find her," he argued. She grabbed his jacket sleeve.

"Alec will find her," she assured him. "And we'll meet them at her house. As scared as she is, that's probably where she'll head." She let him take that in and it finally seemed to sink in.

"Yeah, probably," he agreed, then turned back to pick up the first aid kit. "We should probably keep an eye on the road. We might find her."

"You keep forgetting that we're pretty fast Logan," Max smiled. "Alec will catch her."

"I just hope he doesn't scare her," Logan grimaced. "She's already scared enough. God, I would be too after… after," his throat choked up and he stopped a moment to swipe at his eyes. Max just stood quietly.

"Alec's got enough sense not to scare her," she reassured him. And then in a lighter tone shrugged, "and you can't deny he's got a way with the ladies." Logan let out a bark of laughter, more from the taught nerves and stressed emotions than from any real humor.

_May 23rd, 2021_

5:38 a.m.

Alec had followed Buffy all the way into town, once he'd picked up her trail. Which had been simplicity in itself. He trailed behind her, making sure not to hide his presence from her. From time to time, she'd stop and glance back. But he always mimicked her motions, trying to minimize any threat she might conceive of him. Once they'd hit town, she'd stopped more frequently, sometimes staying in one spot for a few minutes, sometimes walking along slowly. She'd rested her hands on buildings, as if trying to absorb the reality of where she was.

Alec wished more than once that he'd been able to see a map and learn the layout of the town. He had no idea if they were anywhere close to her house. And he didn't want to take a moment to try and find one, if they even existed in the telephone books that were sparsely scattered about. There was something up ahead of them though, that seemed to be drawing her. He watched her make her way into what seemed city central proper. All he could make of it though was the remnants of an old construction site. A tower in the process of being built was tumbled down, bricks and dust settled heavily about the wreckage. Buffy moved to that spot and Alec sucked in a sudden breath.

Logan had said that Buffy had jumped from a construction site. Was this the place? An urgency to get to her now was gnawing at his stomach. He moved to her side, so that she could see him coming and hurried up to her side. Her head turned and she warily watched him approach. Alec kept his hands out in front of him and kept his breathing steady, even though he felt a nervous fluttering in his stomach.

"Buffy?" he said it loudly enough so that it would carry, but kept it easy and light. "I'm Alec. I'm here to help you." She apparently dismissed him as a threat as she turned back to contemplate the broken down tower. Alec tried again once he'd reached her side. "Buffy, let me take you home."

She turned back to him and eyed his outstretched hand. Her voice, rusty and gravelly from twenty years of non-use grated on his ears. But it was the anguish in her eyes that nearly undid him. "Is this hell?"


	10. Chapter Nine

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

Chapter Nine

_May 23rd, 2021_

6:03 a.m.

"Where are they?" Logan grumbled once again. Max held back a groan. He'd been asking that every hour at first, the frequency accelerating as time continued to pass. Now he was asking every few minutes.

"Logan, sit down," Max instructed, careful to keep the annoyance out of her voice. She indicated the other side of the dilapidated porch steps. "Look, Alec has his cell phone, you have yours. He'll call if there's a problem."

"But they should have been here hours ago," Logan grumbled, gingerly lowering himself to the bottom step. He'd been shocked when he saw the house. All the windows were smashed inwards, the inside gutted by looters. It looked like someone had tried to make repairs at one time and then gave up faced with the futility of it. All the things that Joyce had taken pride in were ruined.

"Think about it Logan," Max shrugged. "Those woods were a forty-five minute drive. It'll take them a lot longer to walk back."

"That's true," Logan conceded with a frown. "But still, it's been six hours. It wouldn't take that long."

"Well," Max gazed down the street again as she spoke; "your cousin might have been confused and got lost. She may not have decided to come back here first." She glanced back down at Logan, staring at her earnestly, a little boy looking for reassurance. "We don't know what's going though her mind. But I'm sure she's okay. Or at least as well as can be expected." Logan nodded slowly, trying to take her words to heart. He knew that she was probably correct. But this secret fear dwelled in his heart. A common fear that swelled up whenever anyone he cared about was in trouble.

A few minutes passed in silence before Max noticed movement. She rose from her perch and advanced down the walkway to the street. She heard Logan jump up and cautioned him back. Silly, she knew, for a ghost town, but she wasn't taking any chances at the moment. She was still mildly freaked out by the events of the night. She let her breath go though when she recognized Alec. She motioned Logan forward. They waited on what was left of the sidewalk as Alec came to them, carrying Buffy in his arms. Once he was close enough, Logan addressed this.

"Is she okay?" he called out. Alec took the last few steps to them before answering. He adjusted the woman in his arms so that her head, which had been starting to slide back, found a comfortable nesting spot.

"Worn out," were Alec's clipped words. He glanced up at the house, grimacing at the state. Even by post pulse standards, it was despicable. Odds were that they wouldn't be able to salvage anything. Nor would they want to stay there. So instead of heading inside as he'd been planning to do, he turned on his heel and made for Logan's car. Max jogged ahead of him and opened the back door for him. Alec lowered Buffy's still form into the car, waiting quietly until she'd settled in. He pushed the door shut. "Let's go."

"Go where?" Logan demanded as the other man moved around the rear of the car to the driver's side. "Alec what happened?"

Alec ran a tired hand over the back of his neck. "You know what Logan, why don't I tell you once we're on our way. I don't know about you, but I'm tired, I'm hungry and I could really use a shower. And we need to get your cousin somewhere she'll feel safe. Okay?" the tone was light, but the words were, not threatening but action inducing. Logan found himself heading to the car before he fully took in everything Alec had said. Alec climbed into the backseat on the driver's seat, leaving the front for Max and Logan.

When they climbed in, they found Alec rummaging along the floor of the vehicle. Max was about to ask what he was looking for when he came up with an old, worn blanket that Logan kept for emergencies. He carefully spread it over Buffy, making sure that as much of her body was covered as possible. Max and Logan both jumped in surprise when she turned her head in his direction. Her eyes peeped open just the tiniest bit.

"Ow," she murmured.

"Buffy," Logan breathed, a silly grin adorning his face. "I thought you were asleep." But she didn't respond, just stared at him blankly. Alec leaned forward slowly, coming into her sights with ease.

"Close your eyes," he instructed. After a moment, she complied. Max and Logan exchanged speculative glances, but Alec turned to them to explain. "The light hurts her eyes." Logan chewed on the inside of his cheek, then nodded and turned around to start the vehicle.

"LA?" he asked as he eased the car back into the empty street. He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Alec nod while trying to fight off a yawn.

"We can try and get a motel room or something there," Alec responded once his jaw gave up control of his mouth. "And then we can figure out where we'll go from there."

"Sounds like a plan," Max agreed quietly. They drove on quietly, making for the highway. Logan's concentration was on the road, trying to avoid obstacles, though he wasn't going very fast. But once they were speeding along the road at a more acceptable rate, Logan glanced up in the rearview mirror again, focusing on the male transgenic.

"Alec," he muttered quietly. The man's eyes had fluttered closed, but with that uttered sound, they popped open. He rubbed a tired hand over his face as he straightened up. He really shouldn't have been so tired, but he'd discovered over the past year that emotional turmoil could tire him out quicker than physical exertion. But he'd trained to exist on minimal standards for many things. Sleep among them.

"Yeah Logan?"

"You were going to tell us what happened," Logan prompted. "Why you took so long?"

Alec glanced over at Buffy before answering. He knew she wasn't asleep by the way her eyes stole open every few moments. He wondered if she was scared to fall asleep. Of course, having been dead for the last twenty years, she'd probably had enough of that state and sleep was close enough. Even as he watched, her eyes slid open again, staring straight at his face. She flinched a little and shut her eyes again. He wondered how much he could say to them, to explain. He didn't mind telling them; there was nothing to hide. But his opinion of what had gone down earlier could hurt the woman across from him. And he was of the opinion that she'd had enough trauma for the night. So he decided on the edited version.

"I stayed with her all the way back to town," he told them evenly, turning to address the front seat passengers. "She made for what I assumed was city center. We talked for a few minutes and then we headed back to the house."

"That's it?" Logan scoffed incredulously. He'd been sure that in the amount of time that had passed, another momentous event must have occurred.

"Logan," Max admonished softly, catching another yawn from Alec's direction. She turned in her seat. "Sleep. We'll wake you up when we hit LA." He nodded his thanks and shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position. He finally ended up pulling his right leg to rest on the middle of the seat and curling into the seat. He was tall enough that sitting back there; his head reclined comfortably against the edge of the seat. He leaned his head down on the padded headrest and blinked sleepily.

A grin stole over his face as he caught Buffy peering at him again. And every time it was accompanied by a flinch. He turned his head to see that light was glinting in the window, probably right in her vision. He adjusted himself minutely, so that his shoulder was further out, blocking the pain inducing rays. When he chanced another look, her eyes were wide open and staring blankly at him. As if trying to understand him. Not who or what he was, but just generally placing him in the world at large.

At long last, Buffy moved, pushing the blanket off. She continued until most of it was bunched between them. She surprised him a little by holding out the corner to him. Without bothering to try and analyze her behavior, Alec just accepted it. He settled the blanket around himself, making sure that enough was left for her and let himself drift off. If she wanted to study his face to keep everything else at bay for a few hours more, that was fine by him. Neither did he care about the two sets of indulgent eyes from the front seat. Both of which belonged to people who were thinking quite along similar lines. It was almost as if the duo on the back were just plain old kids, tuckered out by a long day of play. If only that could have been the truth of it.

__

May 23rd, 2021

__

Los Angeles- a little before nine o'clock.

Alec stood in the doorway, beside Buffy, at the motel that Logan had found. The very first one he'd found. Max and Logan had already entered, murmuring about their luck in finding one room with two double beds. It was quite luxurious in this day and age. Max was carrying her bag and moved to set it down on one of the beds. Logan followed suit with the other bed and then turned back to see why his cousin and Alec hadn't entered yet.

"Come in Buffy," he encouraged with a broad smile. But the only response he received was Alec's aggravated grunt.

"Give her a sec," Alec told the other man. "I think she's checking it out." And indeed, Buffy's eyes were darting into every deep dark, recessed corner that she could see. And finally cautiously she took a few steps forward. Alec followed and shut the door. He leaned against it, settling his bag at his feet. All three of the original travelers watched Buffy warily. She moved slowly around the room, picking up objects where she could, studying them for a brief moment before letting them fall from her grip.

Logan was almost on an euphoric high at having his cousin back. Her odd behavior worried him a little, but he eventually figured that she needed time to acclimate herself to being alive again. Max, who'd in a way woken up from death to find her surroundings and circumstances had changed drastically, pondered on how difficult Buffy must be finding just simply functioning. Alec realized immediately that her wandering didn't have too much deeper meaning than what she'd been doing with him earlier. Ordering the things around her by classifying them, losing interest when she'd gleaned whatever information she needed.

"Buffy," Logan finally called, when he got tired of watching her slow progression around the room. She turned and stared at him, her face straight, nothing sparking in her eyes. The full weight of that blank stare made him falter just a little, but he bolstered himself. All they had to do was help her out a little, set her back on the path of her new life and she'd be okay. "Would you like to take a bath? Get cleaned up? You'll feel better." He frowned momentarily at Alec's snort of contempt. Buffy heard it as well and turned to the other man.

Alec waited for something more, to come from her, but she was as reactionless as she'd been during the return to her house. Knowing what was called for, he stepped forward and addressed her specifically. "Buffy, go into the bathroom," he directed and held his hand out, his finger pointing to the appropriate door. And like a docile pet, she turned and followed his order. Logan gaped at Alec, but Max eyed first him and then Buffy's retreating back thoughtfully.

Alec ignored Logan and moved to retrieve the first aid kit he'd brought in with him from the car. He followed Buffy and stood once more in a doorway. "Buffy, I'm going to clean up your hands. Sit down on the toilet." Peeking over Alec's shoulder Logan saw her comply, with nary a comment. Which just wasn't his cousin at all. He grimaced. _'Time Logan,' _he chastised himself, _'she needs time.'_ Alec set the kit down in the edge of the freestanding sink and removed tweezers, antiseptic and bandages. "Show me your right hand." With his free hand, he took the proffered one and studied it carefully. Without letting her go, he glanced up at her face again. "I'm going to pull the splinters out. It'll probably hurt a bit. Then we'll wash your hand and bandage it up. Then I'll do the same with your other hand?" He didn't ask for approval of his plan, just set about putting it in motion. He completely ignored the others as he dropped down to his knees so that he could get close enough to work at it quickly.

Logan was glaring at his back, though he didn't seem to notice or care. Logan noticed that Max had moved to his side and was observing as well. "Why is he talking to her like she's a child. She's not," he muttered heatedly under his breath. But Max heard him. Alec too, probably, though he didn't react. Max simply sighed and pulled Logan away, to the other side of the room.

"He's not," Max said, a little grudgingly. She'd been surprised that Alec had come up with some sort of game plan for dealing with this anomaly that had cropped up in their lives. And that so far it was working. Logan cocked his head to the side, trying to understand how Max and Alec had gotten to be on the same wavelength in the past twenty-four hours without him realizing it. "He's simply telling her what he's going to do and what to expect," she explained. "That way she's not surprised." She turned her head to study the duo in the bathroom. Another thought raced through her mind, and though it was new, she understood on an instinctive level that she'd gotten it right. "I think he's also developing a level of trust. When he tells her something will happen and it does, then that'll help her to believe that he's telling her the truth."

Logan thought it over and what she said did make sense. "I guess," he finally admitted. Max smiled sadly.

"Cause face it Logan," she went on. "Your cousin doesn't exactly have a lot of reason to trust us right now." Before he could protest this, she held up her hand. "I know. You're her cousin. But the cousin she would remember isn't the man standing before her. She doesn't know Alec or I. Her world has changed so drastically…"

There was little else to say to that. Eventually Alec had finished up doctoring Buffy's hands and the other minor cuts and abrasions she had incurred. He'd informed her that she needed to get cleaned up and called Max back in to deal with that portion of the morning. Alec advised Max to stay with Buffy, no matter how strange that request might seem. Max frowned at him, but did as he requested. Alec shut the bathroom door and ambled over to where he'd left his bag. He busied himself removing some fresh clothes for himself and the other necessities for his turn at cleaning up.

"Alec?" Logan asked quietly, having taken a seat on the bed closest to the main door. Alec glanced over his shoulder, his hands still. "You were going to tell me about earlier?" he prompted again. Alec averted his face and stalled a little, zipping the bag back up.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he finally asked, resigned. Why he'd even bothered with the question was beyond him. Of course Logan would want to know. He always wanted to know everything. Digging into dirty sector cops, corrupted politicians lives and the underworld of mobsters had spilled over into his personal life as well. As expected, Logan answered in the affirmative. Alec took a moment, ordering the chaotic thoughts that had whirled through his brain this morning. He had to put it in order, or Logan might not understand the full implication of what had happened.

__

May 23rd, 2021

5:38 a.m.

"Is this hell?" Buffy asked, her voice rough, unused to being used. Hesitant, as if she really believed that such a thing were possible. Alec was puzzled. He'd never really given a thought to the concept of hell. If he had, he supposed that it would be a purgatory of sorts. Different for each individual, designed for maximum damage. Kind of like Manticore. But he didn't know what she expected, so he tried to be gentle.

"Not to me, it isn't," he replied, ducking down to look her full in the face. There was a flicker of something in her eyes. "Is that what it feels like to you?"

She barely reacted, but the slight tremor that ran through her body confirmed that yes, the designation was important and relevant to her. But instead of pursuing that line of thought with him, she turned her attention back to the structure that had once adorned the city for a brief time, before an earthquake and time had pulled it down. Just like every other relic in this forsaken town. Alec saw her tense up, her body preparing to move. And since she couldn't go forward, and she wasn't leaning backwards in that minute way that people did, that meant she intended to go up.

The plan she'd formulated burst into Alec's mind. This was Hell to her. A Hell she'd tried to escape before. His belief that she'd head for home, like a wounded animal wanting to nurse itself back to health was way off the mark. She'd tried to end the pain, escape life once before. And had managed to do it. Of course she wouldn't want to be here.

"Buffy, stop," his voice was a little louder now, urgency lowering the tone. She turned to look at him once more, her eyes quickly dismissing him as she prepared to climb. Alec decided that he didn't have time for the kid gloves treatment and reached out to grab her hand. He pulled her away from the structure, though she put up a token resistance. "If it hurts, if this is hell, then we'll take you someplace that doesn't hurt. But you need to stay with us," he urged, including Logan and Max in his sentiments.

But now, with the full weight of her blank, emotionless face gazing up at his, Alec was the one shuddering. How short a time ago was it that he'd intimated to Max the complete and utter disgust he'd felt with himself, with Manticore, with the circumstances that had led to his reindoctrination? A person could never describe the emptiness a person carried when all your emotions had been burned away. When everything you ever cared about was taken away and the memory of it purged. You just couldn't describe the eventual duality of mind as you screamed at yourself inside your own mind, begging to be let out. And the absolute straight shot of a figurative foot wide lance that went through your being when you finally did wake up again. To find that the world was no better now than it was then, maybe in fact worse. But somehow, Alec had the impression that Buffy knew.

Here, in this place, everything had been stripped from her. Had been taken from her. A person couldn't put it into words. Only someone who had experienced it first hand knew. And Buffy had it in spades. But Alec wondered if she were also looking for a reason to keep going. There had to have been something that had prompted her initial reaction. After living for twenty years, something had happened, whether in her life or her mind that left no way out but escape. Alec's mind strove furiously to find understanding of what could draw her back. He knew so little about her, and everything was from Logan's point of view. How then could he make a connection with her and get her mind off where her instincts were leading her?

Was family the answer for her? But that wouldn't work, he decided quickly. She didn't know the adult Logan. Her family and friends were gone. And if any of them were still around, the differences between what they'd been and what they were now would be impossible for her to grasp and accept immediately. Alec took a desperate glance around, still holding her hand. He could feel her tugging, trying to get away.

"I know," he threw out desperately. "I know, none of this feels right. Everything's changed, hasn't it?" She wasn't looking at him, but he caught the small nod she gave. "And it's going to change again, you know," he warned. She stiffened at that. But he pressed on, reached out with his free hand to tilt her face up to look at him. "The sun's coming up and that makes everything look different."

He didn't know why, but her eyes flashed then. "Sun?" she repeated quietly, then sucked in a huge breath, her eyes widening. "Dawn."

Alec felt like smiling. Finally he'd gotten a reaction from her, though he wasn't sure it was good. He glanced behind him, to the east, where he could see where the sky was lightened in that curious gray color that preceded the sun's ascent, tinges of blood red shooting over the horizon. "Yeah dawn, it'll be soon." He turned back to her, taken aback when her hand tightened its grip; the strength she displayed was disconcerting. And then it occurred to him that this wasn't the dawn she'd meant. "Oh," he sighed. "You mean your sister, don't you." The pressure on his hand increased and he winced. It was starting to border on painful really. She noticed his reaction and let loose of him, sticking her hands behind her back, like a naughty child about to be chastised.

"Dawn's in danger," she whispered, her eyes looking back up at the tower. Alec followed her eyes and took this in. Was she relieving that night? Was that why she'd returned? It was entirely possible that Logan had been wrong about the motivation Buffy had had. If her sister were in danger, whatever that meant, would Buffy, the older sister of a pair that had just lost their mother, not do everything in her power to protect her younger sister? It was something to consider. But for now, he had to get her away from this place. But Buffy whirled around. "Where's Dawn?"

"I don't know," Alec answered as honestly as possible. Logan hadn't said where his cousin had settled. But at least they could get some answers. So this was good. "We can ask Logan," he offered. "He'll know. But we have to go find him now. He's waiting for us at your house. We should go." Alec felt relief settle in his chest as she hesitantly nodded, but Buffy's face fell as she turned slowly around in a complete circle. "What is it?" he asked gently. She didn't reply as her eyes continued to roam over the ghost town, looking for markers that may have no longer been in place. Looking for something familiar.

"Let's find a phone book then, huh," Alec suggested softly. "Hopefully it'll have a map. You live on Revello, right?"

"1630," she murmured. Alec's grin widened as he realized that somehow, and he didn't think it was thanks to him, but Buffy was coming back to them. He pointed back the way they had come.

"I saw an old telephone booth back that way," he told her. "Let's go over there and see if we can find that map." She didn't reply or acknowledge his direction, but to start off in that direction. Alec followed, this time staying by her side as they walked as quickly as Buffy could manage. After her ordeal and then walking and running all night, to be bombarded by confusion, he was surprised that she had energy enough for this. She did stumble a few times and he was ready for the eventuality that she would run out of energy completely. But they made it back to the phone booth without incident.

Alec nudged her onto the bench a few steps away and she sank down, her face having reverted to the blank mask of earlier. Keeping one eye on her, he gingerly fingered his way though the phone book to see if it included the hoped for map. It did. Alec glanced about, calculating their location and then finding Buffy's address. They weren't too far away.

"Ow!" He dropped the book and spun around, his body on edge, tensing for what his adrenaline thought was an attack. But it was simply the young woman sitting on the bench, her eyes wide, even as she flinched back. Alec relaxed and bit back a rueful chuckle as he knelt beside her.

"Close your eyes," he ordered, then shook his head. "I'm sure you remember that looking full on at the sun is never a good idea." Finally she complied and Alec sighed. Her face was still lifted to the sky, as soon as she opened her eyes, she'd be staring at the sun again. "Turn your face," he instructed and she did. But when her eyes came open again,she winced.

"Hurts," she mumbled. Alec nodded in understanding.

"Okay then," he decided. "You just keep your eyes closed. We're not far from your place, so I'll carry you, okay." She didn't agree, but neither did she give any indication that he shouldn't. So Alec simply swept her up, settling her against his chest and pulling his arm tightly around the curve of her back. "You can rest if you want," he offered, shrugging the shoulder where her head could lay. But she didn't react. It was as if she had lost track of things around her again. They were going to have their work cut out for them, trying to reach her at times like these. "Buffy," he said, but still there was no reaction. "Put your head on my shoulder," he instructed. And with no argument or hesitation, she did exactly as he told her.

Alec hid his sigh of relief. He could work with this. Even if it were basic commands, at least she was responding to something. And after a quick glance about to make sure he was going in the right direction, he headed off to find Max and Logan.

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May 23rd, 2021

Los Angeles, a little after nine o'clock

"Alec?" Logan's voice brought Alec out of his reverie. He straightened up.

"Look Logan," he sighed, "I don't know what was going through her mind, but I can guess. The first place she made to was that tower downtown. I think it was where she… you know?" Logan looked shaken, but nodded.

"Of course, it was the last thing she'd remember," he answered quietly.

"But I'm not so sure that your cousin committed suicide," Alec mumbled. It was something that had been turning over in his brain all morning. But instead of Logan protesting, as he'd expected, the older man had a glint in his eyes.

"Why do you say that?" he asked eagerly. And Alec realized his mistake. Logan was so desperate to have acceptance, most especially from family that didn't ridicule and belittle him. He wanted back the cousin that treated him like he was perfectly fine the way he was. But there was no help for it.

"She said that Dawn was in danger," Alec chewed at his lower lip. "I think she was referring to that night." Logan nodded. That was like his cousin. Buffy and Dawn might have disagreed and brawled, like siblings do, but when it came down to brass tacks, they looked out for each other. Hadn't they?

"If Dawn was in danger…" Logan worried at it. The implications were clear, he just didn't have the whole story. Maybe his assumptions all these years had been wrong.

"She wants to see her," Alec told him after a moment of silence and Logan turned his glance back to him. "Buffy wants to see Dawn," he clarified and Logan's face fell.

"She can't," Logan groaned. Alec was about to ask why, but Logan explained in drastically lowered tones. "Dawn's dead."


	11. Chapter Ten

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N- Not all of the events that took place in Dark Angel will be present in this fiction. And there may be more time passing between events than it appeared on the show. So I guess that makes this AU.

Chapter Ten

_May 23, 2021_

Los Angeles

"What?" Alec demanded, disbelieving. He shouldn't have been. But Dawn hadn't been that old. What could have happened that had taken Dawn? Of course there were the obvious things. Accidents, illness, there were a multitude of answers, but for the family that had seen so much tragedy, this was just another blow.

"Sorry," Logan mumbled. But then his head snapped up. Why was he apologizing? All he'd done was taken the other man by surprise. It wasn't as if Alec didn't get his jollies by doing the same to him all the time.Mild regret quickly turned to defensiveness. But even so, he kept his head clear enough to move away from the bathroom in the hopes that his cousin wouldn't overhear. He motioned Alec after him and the younger man didn't bother to hesitate.

"How did Dawn die?" Alec demanded. "And how the hell are you going to tell her sister?"

"I'm hoping I won't have to," Logan whispered back. He glanced once more at the bathroom. "At least not yet. I don't think she's ready to deal with this yet."

"I don't think any time is ready when someone dies," Alec answered stoutly, though he lowered his voice as well. He waited expectantly as Logan pulled off his glasses and rubbed at them convulsively with the hem of his shirt. It was a mark of how discomfited he was by the events surrounding them. Normally he would have found a handkerchief.

"Dawn and Hank died during the Pulse," Logan announced softly. Alec straightened up, pulling his head back as he took this in. "They were travelling by train for some business conference. Dawn had graduated college and Hank was trying to get her interested in an Internship. So he took her with him. When the Pulse happened, of course the computer running the train shut down and there was a massive pile-up." He sighed heavily as he recalled the moment he had received that letter, weeks after from Hank's lawyer. The man had known Hank very well and while his family had been lucky enough to come through the Pulse with their health intact, the loss of the Summers had weighed heavily on him. So he'd gone through all the paper files he'd had on the Summers family and had at last found Logan's name among them.

"Killed everyone, huh?" Alec assumed with a slightly odd tinge of emotion.

"A few people walked away," Logan contradicted. "Some were hospitalized, but with the break-down, not many made it."

"And Hank and Dawn?" Alec wondered.

"Were ones that didn't ever see the light of day again," Logan finished sadly. He thought on it a few moments, remembering the trek he'd made to New York to say goodbye to that side of his family, even though his cousin's body had never been found. Officials had attributed her name to the list of those who died in a resultant fire. "There was a mass memorial site, pictures and letters, flowers," he murmured. "You saw them all over the country, until people were too busy just trying to survive and they slowly faded back into oblivion."

Alec sighed and turned back to a meaningless task of moving his possessions about, in an effort to remain busy. He was really starting to empathize with this woman, which for a soldier like him, was a dangerous thing to do. Resolutely, he reminded himself that he'd just finished lecturing Max and Logan about this not too awful long ago. They couldn't afford to get mixed up, entangled in each other's lives. Especially when what they were, he and Max were so completely different from the ordinaries. The biggest difference, that was the fine line between survival and death was that the transgenics were hunted, the ordinaries not. And if the transgenics were to go on keeping the ordinaries intimate in their lives, then those same ordinaries would probably end up being the first in line when the crossfire came.

Thankfully, Max chose that time to pop her head out of the bathroom. She took in the tension between the two men and dismissed it just as quickly. Sometimes she didn't want to give herself the headache of figuring out what had pushed either man's buttons. Especially when it happened so rarely with Alec that any reason she'd guess was probably light years off base.

"Hey, could someone bring me my bag?" she demanded. "Buffy needs some clothes." Alec obligingly dropped his bag and scooped up Max's instead. He brought it to her instead of tossing it like he normally might have. And surprising her still, he never once tried to sneak a peek into the other room. She took the bag and stared up at his face, a moment only, assessing this rapid and confusing stoically faced man. But she shrugged internally. He'd either tell her what was bothering him, or more likely not. She just nodded her thanks and pulled the bag inside.

Shutting the door, she turned and moved over to Buffy. The blonde was wrapped in the largest towel available in the cramped bathroom and sitting on the closed toilet seat lid. She wasn't looking at anything in particular. Max was just glad to have gotten her out of that ratty bug infested black dress. The unrelenting color really did little for her fair features that were so pale. Max had wondered briefly if the paleness was a byproduct of Buffy's having been dead, but dismissed the morbid thought. Probably because she didn't want to admit that her fashion sense, what little she had, had been offended.

But when she dug into her own bag, searching for something that might suit the other woman, she did a double take. When the hell had her life become so drab that all she wore were black and midnight blue. She worried at her lower lip a moment and shrugged the disconcerting thought off. It didn't matter what Buffy wore, as long as it was serviceable in keeping her covered and warm. So to that end, she removed a T-shirt and sweats that she'd brought along in case the urge to sleep struck her. Continuing on from Alec's clues, she held them before Buffy.

"Put these on," she instructed. Buffy easily took the clothes from her and then stared at them in confusion. Max realized once again her mistake. To her those words were simple and direct, but there were many moment by moment steps to accomplish this. Max grimly reordered things in her mind so that they could do so quickly and with minimal fuss. "Shirt first," she said, indicating the dark blue shirt on top. The pants fluttered down, slipping half off her lap. But that didn't matter. "Lift up your right arm," Max continued, taking the shirt from her. She bunched up the material and eased the correct armhole over her wavering hand. "Left arm." That was done but Max remembered to take a moment and warn her. "It's going over your head now, then the shirt will be done."

She was glad she had done so, warning the other woman. There was a second when the darkness, though mild as the fabric only muted the light, that Buffy's body stiffened. But when in the panic of reorienting herself, she caught sight of Max's face, she relaxed marginally. Max didn't let this bother her and simply settled the material over the bulky towel. They proceeded in the same manner with the pants and Max was glad that Buffy was able to pull them up herself. Dressing a full-grown woman was just too weird for her taste. But she deigned to put the socks on the other woman's feet and once she had Buffy standing, pulled the towel away. She grabbed another and told Buffy to put it around her hair so she wouldn't get the clothes wet. Buffy complied and Max felt they were ready to face the world. Or at least the outer motel rooms.

She led Buffy into the outer room, noticing that the men immediately fell silent. They watched Buffy as she timidly made her way out of the bathroom, only to see her hover in the doorway. Max glanced back at her and then at the men. She almost let out an aggrieved growl. Staring at the woman wasn't going to get her to relax and remain calm. Alec caught the hint on her face first and turned back to rifling through his wallet. He settled whatever he was doing and thrust it back into his pocket. He retrieved the clothes he'd laid out for himself and moved towards them. When he was a few feet away from the bathroom and Buffy he stopped and with an easy grin motioned her out of the way.

"It's my turn," he informed her. "Go sit down on the bed." Buffy stiffened abruptly and then followed his directive. As he glanced back at the others, he noticed that Logan was still staring rapturously at his cousin. He just hoped that Max would be able to rein in his enthusiasm, because he really wanted into the shower, not to have to negotiate a comfort zone for the blonde woman. But there was nothing he was going to do about it at the moment. He simply continued into the facilities and shut the door behind him.

There was a stiff silence for a moment and then Logan broke out of the daze he was in to carefully approach the blonde woman. "Buffy," he murmured gently. She glanced up at him, her face still blank and hesitant. "I'm your cousin. Logan Cale," he reintroduced himself to her and a puzzled look crossed her features. He hurried on. "I know I look different. But Buffy, you've been… gone… for a long time. So I've grown up quite a bit since we last saw each other. But I want you to know that I'll do everything I can to help you get used to things again. It shouldn't take too long for you to get acclimated again. And I'll be-!"

"How long," Buffy demanded in her still raspy voice. Logan looked startled that she'd finally uttered something coherent. He had to replay what he'd been saying before he caught her question.

"How long will it take to get acclimated?" he repeated questioningly, then tilted his head to think on it. "Well, I can't really say," he mused. "There's a lot to cover."

Max chuckled dryly and took a seat near Buffy on the bed. "I think she meant how long was she gone, Logan." She turned to the other woman and received a nod in confirmation. But Logan couldn't seem to answer that, as if there was an entire can of worms he just didn't want to open at that moment. Max decided to take a little action. "I'm Max by the way," she introduced herself. She didn't bother sticking out her hand as was customary. "Max Gueverra." When Buffy didn't respond, she went on. She remembered how much trouble Logan had in moments like this. He never could seem to be able to tell good people bad or awkward news. "Do you remember that you…?"

"Died," Buffy filled in for her and then nodded. Max nodded briefly as well. At least there was that. They didn't need to explain that she'd been dead for two decades. Just that a significant amount of time had passed.

"Well it's now 2021," Max went on gently. Buffy didn't react and Max didn't press it. There was plenty of time to convince her of that later, if needed. "You've been dead for twenty years. But last night, something happened that brought you back to life."

"Oh," the blonde murmured. Then seeming to dismiss this line of conversation, she turned back to Logan. "Where's Dawn?" Max realized then that this was what had been eating at Logan earlier. The slight gulp and sudden sheen of perspiration at his hairline told her everything she needed to know. It wasn't good news. Logan knelt down before her feet and reached for his cousin's hand. But Buffy pulled back and he tried to make the motion a natural balancing by swiftly resting his palm against the bed.

"Buffy, about Dawn," he sighed heavily. As much as he might want to put it off, he knew that his stubborn cousin probably wouldn't give up until she found out. "See, a lot of things have happened since you… went away. There was a terrible accident. In 2009. And Dawn… and your dad, died as a result of it."

Buffy's face crumpled up for a moment and her eyes fluttered shut. But when she opened them again both Max and Logan were amazed to see a hint of steely determination. "No!" she grunted. Max and Logan exchanged looks, wondering exactly what that meant. They didn't have to ask, as this Buffy became suddenly loquacious, for her that was. "Dawnie's alive. I can feel it."

Logan didn't know whether to be sorrowful or excited. His cousin was talking to him, actually there in the room and it wasn't some hallucination. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite ready to take a full grip on reality. He wondered how he could get her to understand that what he was telling her was the truth. The only thing that could help, he supposed, was the death certificate's he had on file back home. But even then, weren't delusional people prone to irrationality? Logan mentally sighed and shook his head. He had no idea exactly what kind of problems Buffy suffered, if any. Maybe a consultation with one of Dr. Carr's colleagues was in order. But he wouldn't be able to do that until they were back in Seattle. For now, he just wanted her to stay calm. Soon enough they'd be home.

"Why don't you lay down and take a nap," he offered, gesturing at the bed she was on. "It's been a long night. I think I might take one myself," he ended with a smile. But she didn't return it. In fact, she looked mightily uncomfortable with the thought.

"No sleep," she whispered. Logan's face grew thoughtful. Max wanted to snort. Like with most things, Logan was overanalyzing. His cousin was a grown woman. And she'd been through a rough deal. She wanted to shake him and tell him to back off and take his cues from his cousin and not just what he thought was best for her. But she didn't for more than just the reason that she couldn't touch him.

"You don't have to sleep," Max told Buffy quietly. There was probably a lot of stuff weighing on the girl's mind. Nightmare producing material and they all knew that. Of course she wouldn't want to sleep. "Maybe we could watch TV?" Buffy's eyes darted around the room until they finally centered on the antique machine. She nodded hesitantly and Max got up to retrieve the remote control. She came back to the bed, but instead of sitting at the edge as she had been; she went to the far end and pulled back the sheets. She removed the pillows, setting them over the comforter and plumping them up. "Come up here," she instructed as she settled in on one side.

Buffy eyed her warily; obviously mindful that it could be a ruse to get her to sleep, but when Max casually ignored her to turn on the television and start flipping through channels, she scooted up the bed. She settled back against the headboard, curling her legs up under herself and wrapping her arms around her middle. Max glanced at her once, seeing her eyes flick disinterestedly over the images flashing on the screen.

"Tell me if you see something you like," she smiled. She slowed her channel switching so that Buffy could keep up. Hopefully they'd find some old rerun that might be familiar to her, but twenty-year-old shows weren't very popular right now. Logan watched all of this and once Buffy seemed to relax, he stood and moved to the other bed. He chose the side closest to Buffy, toed off his shoes and stretched out on his back. It felt good to him to be able to finally get off his feet.

When Alec climbed out of the shower, he listened for a moment. But all he could hear was the low hum of the television. He smiled at that. He didn't imagine that Max and Logan were the types to watch a lot of television. They were probably trying to entertain Buffy. He toweled himself off rapidly and slipped into the clothes he'd brought in with him. Just a T-shirt and sweats, similar to what Max had brought to sleep in. At least it was comfortable. He gathered up his dirty clothes and opened the door to a rushing of cooler air. As he hurried in front of the trio, he smiled a brief apology for disturbing their viewing pleasure and settled his clothes on top of his bag. And then he took in the scene.

Logan was stretched out on the bed closest to the door, sound asleep, his glasses skewed across his face. Buffy was just across from him, a nightstand separating them and the beds. She was curled up in herself, her eyes staring blankly at the dancing cartoons on the television. Max was leaning back against the headboard, supported by a pillow. She was glancing at Logan and then back to him.

"Could you take his glasses off, before he breaks them?" she asked quietly, gesturing to Logan. Alec nodded and padded over on bare feet. He folded them up and placed them within easy reach on the nightstand.

"I'm going to get some sleep too," he informed both of them, his words were meant more for Max. His gaze flickered once to Buffy, who still hadn't bothered to look up and Max nodded, understanding that Alec wanted her to keep an eye on the other woman.

"That's fine," Max muttered and turned her face back to the television. "I'll wake you guys up in a few hours and we can figure out what to do for lunch then."

"Sounds good," Alec muttered as he yawned. He moved around to the other side of the bed Logan had sacked out on. Alec wasn't really so discerning about where he slept, but sharing a bed with Logan made him pause. There was plenty of room, but Logan didn't seem to have removed his exoskeleton. Was the man a kicker? Well, Alec was tired enough that he'd put up with the possibility. He leaned down to pull the pillow out from under the comforter and once he'd arranged it the way he wanted, stretched out on top of the bed and was asleep in moments.

_May 23rd, 2021_

Los Angeles, sometime in the afternoon

Alec woke swiftly, startled out of his sleep. By what he couldn't say. It took him seconds only to orient himself. His gaze roamed over the artificially darkened motel room. He was glad Max had pulled the shades. He never liked waking via sunbeams in his eyes. But as his eyes lingered on that particular form, he realized what was so out of place. Instead of staring in boredom at the television screen, or reading one of her books, Max was asleep. And Buffy was gone.

Alec swore softly and rolled off the bed and to his feet. As he did so he realized what it had been that had woken him up. The soft but decisive shutting of a door. His glance strayed to the bathroom. The door was shut, but no light escaped from the gap at the bottom. Of course, her eyes could still be sensitive to the light and she might not have turned it on. He approached on silent feet and gently knocked. "Buffy?"

There was no answer and when he moved his hand to the doorknob, a simple touch made it swing inward. But the room was empty. His head spun as he tried to figure out where the hell she'd go. His body finally caught up and he turned and hurried back to where Max was reclined and snoozing. He was quiet, not wanting to wake Logan. The other man would just panic and freak out that they'd lost his cousin. Alec knelt beside the bed and with one touch to her knee, the transgenic woman was awake. "Buffy's gone," he announced in a whisper.

Max's eyes darted around the room, taking in the empty bathroom. Her eyes continued in the frantic search of inanimate objects, her mind cataloguing the things they'd brought in with them. She breathed a sigh of relief once they landed on the car keys that Logan had set on his nightstand. She stood up, pointing them out as Alec moved back. "She's on foot," she extrapolated. "She can't have gone far, depending on how much of a head start she had."

"Her leaving woke me up," Alec informed her as he moved over to grab up his boots. He pulled them on, as Max quickly did the same with her own. They were ready to head out in moments. Max hesitated as she passed Logan, but Alec shook his head. They exited the room and then he explained.

"We shouldn't wake him unless there's really a problem," he decided. Max nodded. They took in the parking lot, but aside from the few vehicles, it was empty. "Split up?" Alec asked. Max nodded again. They headed for the street and naturally broke apart, Max heading for the left and Alec to the right. It was going through both of their minds that Buffy used to live in Los Angeles. But it had changed so drastically in the last twenty years. The sense of security and familiarity that Buffy might have expected here was extremely detrimental for her well being. They still hadn't explained to the young woman about sector identification passes and police checkpoints. Travelling with Logan wasn't a problem because he always had a travelling permit on hand and the sector cops never bothered to check the rest of the vehicle's occupants, unless there was a manhunt on.

All this ran through their minds, wondering what kind of trouble Buffy could even now be getting into. But before Alec had taken two steps down the street, he'd spotted her. "Max!" he called back loudly over his shoulder. He knew she'd hear. As he began to jog towards the blonde, he smiled. She was taking a page out of his game plan from earlier, rifling through a phone book. As he came up by her side, she turned stunned eyes up at him. Alec frowned as he took in her trembling fingers, holding the pages open at the _'A's'_.

"Buffy?" he asked gently of her, gesturing at the pages, indicating that he was lost at what she was asking of him.

"He's not here," she whispered, her eyes dropping back to the book.

"Who isn't?" Max asked as she jogged up. She'd taken in the situation accurately as she'd approached.

"Angel," she answered quietly. "H-he can't be gone? Can he?" Alec and Max exchanged mystified glances. Who knew what was possible over twenty years?

"Why don't we go back to the motel and talk about it?" Max suggested. The name was a total mystery to them, as Logan had never mentioned it. Alec was frowning down at the book Buffy was holding. She had opened it to the section that Angel would be listed in. But from the way she used it, it sounded more like a first name. He was going to point that out that his last name would be more useful, but Buffy was tugging at the book as if she were going to take it with her. He hurriedly removed it from her hands.

"There's probably one in the room," he told her gently. She pursed her lips as if she were going to argue, then nodded and let loose the book. Alec set it back on the little shelf designed under the phone for that purpose. As they began to walk back, he noticed that Buffy hadn't even taken time to put some shoes on. Not like there were extra just lying around for her to use. Max slid the key she'd grabbed from the nightstand, into the lock and they quietly entered the room.

Buffy went straight to the nightstand and rifled through the drawer. With a small sense of triumph, she pulled a phone book out and perched on the edge of the bed, completely ignoring her still slumbering cousin. She flipped through the pages and then glanced up at them again, a frown marring her face.

"Not in that one either, huh?" Alec muttered. She shook her head. "What's his last name?"

"He doesn't have one," Buffy mumbled, then glanced up, looking off in the distance. "I think."

"Well that explains the trouble," Max grinned. "They still list people by their last names." But Buffy was ignoring her to flip through the book until she came to the yellow pages. She started searching again in the '_I'_ section, then the '_P'_s. Finally she found what she was looking for, but then let out an aggrieved grunt and slammed the book shut.

"He's not in there," she sighed, her eyes returning to a spot on the wall.

"What were you looking in the yellow pages for?" Alec asked gently as he took a seat at the end of the bed. Buffy turned to face him, not caring as the book slid to the floor with a soft thump.

"His business," she murmured. "Angel Investigations. But it's not there." There was silence for a few minutes as the transgenics tried to think beyond the obvious why that would be.

"Maybe they just don't advertise anymore," Max shrugged.

"Or maybe they moved to a different city," Alec shrugged. "Or they could have changed their name to something else." Buffy shook her head at that one.

"They moved to a hotel," she murmured. "Back before I…"

Alec spoke only so that there wouldn't be an awkward silence. "Well maybe we could check that out. If they're not there now, maybe if anybody else is, they might know about the previous occupants." He smiled at the blonde woman as her eyes widened. "Do you want to do that?" he asked. He was glad to see her interest sparked in something. Of course, even as something in his mind urged him to remind her that it was a long shot, ever the party pooper, Max beat him to it.

"Don't get your hopes up though," she warned. "We might not find anything. But maybe Logan can figure out something more later on." At Buffy's puzzled look Max hid a smile. "He, ah… kind of does stuff like that for a living." Alec fought his own grin. Eyes Only wasn't Logan's livelihood, it was his whole life.

"Can we go now?" Buffy demanded finally. The transgenics glanced over as one at the still sleeping male. They glanced at one another and finally Max smiled weakly.

"We probably should wake him up and get something to eat first, okay?"


	12. Chapter Eleven

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Eleven

_May 23rd, 2021_

Motel room, mid-afternoon

"Can we go?" Buffy asked quietly, but with surety in her voice. She'd directed her question to Alec, since the other two seemed to have lost what little patience they had with her. Her appealing green eyes stared up at him. Alec hesitated a moment, then popped the last bite into his mouth. He chewed quickly and swallowed.

"As soon as Max and Logan are done," he told her again. She frowned but didn't say anymore as she watched Max and Logan continue eating. Logan glanced back at the Styrofoam package in front of Buffy.

"You should eat a little more," Logan urged. Buffy just stared distastefully at the food they'd purchased for her. They'd tried to go into a small diner, but Buffy had only made it as far as the doorway, before tears were brimming in her eyes and she was holding her hands over her ears. Alec had realized instantly that being in a public place, with other strangers around was too much for her. He'd doubled back; telling Max to order everything to go and they'd eat back at the motel. Max had nodded and Alec had gently escorted Buffy back to the car. Half an hour later, she'd taken maybe two bites of the sandwich Max had handed her.

"Not hungry," she grunted. Logan was about to speak again, but a quick shake of Alec's head made his mouth snap shut. Badgering her wouldn't accomplish anything.

They could understand her eagerness to go and find someone from her past. The only connection she felt she had in the world. Logan didn't count to her, as she hadn't reconciled the man before her to the child she'd known. They'd asked questions as they ate and Buffy had answered them to the best of her ability. When she'd mentioned that she thought the place she was looking for was called the Heparin Hotel, there was a moment of confusion, until Max had run through the places she knew. Having lived in Los Angeles herself for a good many years, she was still familiar with many of the larger sites, museums, hotels and the like. So when she blurted out that Buffy probably meant the Hyperion, there was a look of relieved gratitude from the blonde woman.

So they knew where they were going. Understanding who they were looking for was a harder story to get out of her. And all they learned was that Angel was someone she knew from her days in Sunnydale and he had moved to LA a few years before. They had to assume that she meant a few years before she died, as she wouldn't say anything else. They all had their suspicions about what Angel had been to her, mostly from the softening of her voice and the sudden mist of tears in her eyes when she spoke of him. But just as quickly, her eyes had gone hard and she hadn't spoken, expect to ask when they could go.

Finally however, the others finished as well and they swept their garbage up and into the small trashcan by the front door. Alec picked up his coat as Logan retrieved his keys again. Buffy led the way out the door and was waiting impatiently at the car for the rest of them. She climbed into the back seat and Alec followed, figuring that it was easier for Max to give Logan directions if she were in the front seat. There was a minor problem at the first sector checkpoint they encountered, until Logan showed the sector cop his paperwork and explained that they hadn't planned on stopping in LA. After a thorough checkof Logan's credentials, the sector cop was able to issue them a temporary visitor's pass, mapping out their route to the hotel. The cop didn't bother to ask why they wanted to go to a dilapidated old hotel that wasn't operating as such. He just wanted to get them moving so he could return to the scant hut that was his post for the day. Probably wanted to get off his feet and listen to whatever was on the radio.

Max directed Logan with easy to follow commands and soon they had arrived. Buffy stared up at the large structure while the others exited the vehicle. Alec came around to her side, by the curb and opened the door, hiding a smile at her sudden nervousness. He squatted down and waited until she turned her face to his. "We don't have to do this now. We can wait until you're ready."

She wet her lips and swallowed heavily. "I need to," she answered honestly. "He might know…" She trailed off, but Alec knew that she was still thinking of her sister. Nothing anyone said could convince her that Dawn was dead. Alec could only hope that hearing it from someone she trusted would impact her. Though that wasn't an emotional maelstrom that any of them were looking forward to. To that end, he held out his hand to help her out of the car. She stared at it for a moment, then placed her smaller hand in his. He winced inwardly at how cool her skin was. Even with his transgenic body temperature being slightly higher than an ordinary person's would be, she was still much too cold. Just nervousness he hoped.

They pushed open the gate that was set amid the high brick wall that led to the main entrance. Max was regaling them with tales of the time she'd tried to case out the place. As a young teen, she'd figured that a place as large as this was bound to have some good loot. But when she'd actually got inside, it was all trinkets, books and smelly herbs. Buffy looked puzzled and then she nodded. It made sense to her, even if it didn't to the rest of them.

This time however, there was no need for subterfuge. There was a large sign to the side of the front double doors, proclaiming that the hotel was open. Logan pulled open one of the doors and stood back to the let the others through. It wasn't really what any of them expected. The lobby was full of people, talking, laughing, chattering, and arguing. They took this in until Alec looked down at Buffy. She was cringing back. There were too many people, again.

"Buffy," he murmured quietly. Her panicked eyes jumped up to his and he moved his hand to rest at the small of her back. She stiffened a moment before relaxing into the friendly and supportive gesture. "Do we go in?" She nodded hesitantly and started forward, even as she tried hard not to flinch and duck away from the noise.

Before they got far, a young black woman broke away from the group she was talking with. She approached them with a large smile in place on her face. A few steps from them, she stopped and spread her hands wide. "Hello. Welcome to Lamia Portus. How can I help you?"

The newcomers glanced at each other warily and then Logan stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Logan Cale," he offered his hand and the woman shook it. "We're actually here looking for someone."

The woman wasn't all that taken aback by the announcement. Her smile stayed put and she nodded. "Do you have a name?" She turned her head to the side and caught someone's eye. Another young woman nodded and stood from where she'd been seated in the center of the lobby. The group around her that she'd been conversing with fell silent for a moment as she made her way through them and once she was clear, they closed up rank and continued their conversation.

"Actually," Alec smiled charmingly as he eyed the other woman coming towards him. There was a strange energy running through the room that had him slightly on edge. "The person we're looking for, used to run a business here, about twenty years ago. We were wondering if you might possibly know where he moved to."

Understanding dawned on the black woman and she turned and gestured at the other woman. "Sorry Arianna," she called. The other woman just shrugged and grinned, easily turning to return to her friends. The black woman turned back to the group. "Sorry, I thought you were here for a locator spell."

"A locator spell?" Logan repeated dubiously. He wondered immediately what kind of nuthouse they'd stumbled into. Alec and Max were wondering similar thoughts, but Alec noticed that Buffy was edging her way forward. His hand fell from her back as she moved out of his reach.

"Lamia Portus," Buffy muttered as she took in the woman before her. Alec eased around to lean against a pillar supporting the vaulted roof so that he could see what was going on. Buffy's face scrunched up for a moment, then she blurted out, "witch haven?"

"Oh," the black woman breathed, her smile returning. "You know Latin?"

"I… remember some," Buffy grimaced.

"I'm Emily, by the way," the black woman introduced herself. But Buffy didn't offer her own name. Emily glanced over each member of the newcomers, sizing them up. They obviously weren't here to look in the Wiccan natural shop, or utilize the service of one in their coven. So she figured it was probably best to tell them what they wanted to know, so she could get back to the day to day business of running the commune. "I'm afraid to say," she continued, "that I don't have that information. I only came here to study and to work about two years ago."

"Oh," Logan nodded. He straightened up. "Is there perhaps someone who's been here longer that we could speak to?"

Emily nodded. "You'd probably want to talk to the lady that started Lamia. But that was back in 2013. I think this place was empty for a long time before that. But she might know."

Logan nodded again. "Is she here?" Emily shook her head.

"She isn't available right now," she smiled apologetically. "But I could take your information and have her call you as soon as she does come in."

Alec could see the slight disappointment on Buffy's face and he stepped forward. "That'd be great," he told the black woman. "But we're going to have to head back to Seattle soon. So if she could get in touch with us as soon as she gets in?"

Emily thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "Why don't I get your number here and your home number?"

"That'd be fine," Logan sighed. He went over to the desk with the other woman so she could write down the numbers of his cell phone and his home phone. Meanwhile, Buffy had gravitated over to one of the displays of crystal necklaces. Max and Alec followed for lack of anything better to do. Her hand strayed over the display and then she reached amid the strands and pulled forward a black choker, with a slim purple stone dangling from the end.

A young woman made her way quickly over, perhaps sensing a sale. She took up position behind the counter and gestured to the one Buffy was holding. "That's always a popular choice."

"What is it?" Max demanded. While she was well versed in the more precious stones, she'd barely paid attention to semi-precious ones. Except how to tell them apart from the real thing.

"Amethyst," Buffy informed her quietly, before the girl could speak. Strangely, as she continued, she affected an extremely bad English accent. "Used for charm bags, money spells and for cleansing one's aura." She smiled wistfully as she stared at the stone.

"Very good," the sales girl chuckled. "You must have studied the stones?"

Buffy glanced up and lost the tiny light in her eyes. Whatever had prompted the knowledge of amethysts, wasn't accompanied by other good thoughts and it was plain to everyone around her that Buffy didn't wish to speak of it. She dropped the amethyst as if scalded. "A little," she finally murmured. The salesgirl stared at her, assessing her mood and demeanor. Then she reached for another necklace.

"I think maybe this one would be more appropriate," she offered, removing it from the rack. Max and Alec watched as she freed a similar necklace. Instead of a slim stone though, it had a more rounded rock attached to the end, colored in a curious muted shade of blue. With veins of white and brown running through it, it evoked images of the earth.

"Chrysalis?" Buffy uttered, looking slightly confused. The girl chuckled and shook her head.

"Close," she smiled and extended her hand to Buffy. The blonde automatically caught the stone that was swinging in front of her. "It's chrysocolla. It lifts and balances the emotion, eases emotional heartache. And it's known to attract love and sweet dreams," she ended in a lilting, tempting tone. But at the mention of love and dreams, Buffy seemed to shut down again.Alec took this in and barely hesitated. It didn't matter if he didn't believe in this mumbo jumbo. But obviously Buffy did, to an extent. And even if the stupid little rock did nothing, if Buffy believed that it might, it could go a long way in buoying her mental well being. He reached for his wallet as he nodded at the girl.

"We'll take it," he informed her. She smiled broadly at him and told him the amount. Which was surprisingly reasonable for this day and age. He handed over the cash and told her not to bother with a bag. She obligingly clipped the price tag from the necklace and handed it to him, along with his change.

"Thank you," she grinned. "And have a nice day."

Logan approached the group at the counter just as Alec had opened Buffy's hand and dropped the necklace into it. She closed her hand reflexively and gazed up at him. Alec felt mildly uncomfortable; unable to fathom why the simple gesture had seemed so important to him.

"Buffy? Are you ready to go?" Logan asked, unaware of the particulars of the by-play going on before him. Buffy nodded, her eyes still on Alec. She finally turned and headed for the front door. Alec glanced down at Max, surprised to see that for once she was smirking at him and not the other way around.

"What?" he demanded as they began to walk after Logan and Buffy.

"Nothing," she chuckled.

"Seriously Max, what?" Alec demanded, getting a little irritated. She looked as if she knew something he didn't and it was very disconcerting for him. And then it dawned on him why precisely she was smirking. "Oh quit it," he ordered harshly. "I was just being nice."

"With jewelry," she taunted. "That's a lot nicer than men I know."

"With a stone," Alec corrected.

"On a necklace," she continued as she made her way out the door. Logan and Buffy were already at the gate. Alec grunted in frustration and grabbed at her arm. She stared pointedly at it until he let go.

"I just thought that maybe the dumb thing might actually help calm her down, if she believes in that sort of stuff," he explained gruffly. "That's it." Max cocked her head to the side, studying him. Finally she shrugged.

"Whatever you say Alec," she sighed and began to walk away. "But jewelry is still jewelry."

"Argh!"

_May 23rd, 2021_

3:02

Rear entrance of Lamia Portus, Hyperion Hotel

Tara had been running late all day. She'd had appointments that she'd had to cancel. None of them were important, except one. And he understood why she was late. He didn't mind. They just got together weekly to touch base and discuss things currently going on in their lives and businesses. But when Tara realized that she was late getting back for her three o'clock class that she taught, she'd hurried away. And that was always a mistake. For it seemed it was always her luck, that whenever she hurried, the harder it made things. Sector checkpoint lines were longer than usual. The car wouldn't start. People insisted on jaywalking in front of her only.

But she finally made it. And only a few minutes late. Her group would understand. It was luckily, some of the things she was striving to teach them. Patience, understanding and acceptance. Even if she wasn't demonstrating them very well herself today. Tara climbed out of the car, noticing that she'd parked slightly haphazardly in her space, but not really worrying about it. She shut the front door and moved to the back seat to gather the material she'd need to look over later that evening. She bumped the car door shut with her hip and carried the papers and folders through the garden of the Hyperion hotel.

Luckily someone saw her coming and jumped up to open the door from the inside for her. "Thank you Martin," she smiled as she passed by the young man who'd joined their commune recently. He smiled back and commented on the nice weather. Tara nodded and continued down the steps. As usual, the lobby was thriving and teeming with people. Either here for a class, to visit with other Wiccans or to peruse through the nature shop or their fairly extensive library of arcana.

"Buffy!" the name caught Tara off guard and her head snapped up as she stumbled slightly. It was a name she hadn't heard for many, many years. Her head swung around in astonishment to where the man was who'd called it. An older man, walking slowly towards the display of charm stone necklaces was talking to the group there. Two women and another man. The papers that Tara had been so carefully holding slid to the floor as the blonde turned her face to the older man.

"Oh Goddess," Tara murmured as the woman came into full view. She stood rooted to the spot as they moved away, out the front doors. It wasn't possible, was it? Tara felt her heart thudding in her chest as emotions warred within. But as the door slipped shut behind the other couple, the commune members were treated to an amazing sight. Tara Maclay, founding member of the Lamia Portus Wiccan Commune dashed across the hotel lobby, her eyes wide and panicked as she chased after the people who'd just been inside.

But as Tara reached the front doors, yanking them open, all she could see was the group pulling away from the curb in a small blue car. She stood there, trembling as she brought a hand to her mouth. Some long-forgotten emotion seized hold of her, a familiarity of the person who'd just been there. And all she knew was that she had seen the impossible, but it was most definitely a ghost from her past. Because while many women and girls might look similar to her friend, the sense of power that had dwelled in Buffy, the gift of the Slayer, had never been there before in those other women. But Tara had sensed it the moment she'd walked in from the garden. She just never expected that The Slayer would be present in the form it had dwelt in once before for so many years.

Tara spun around and re-entered the hotel. Her eyes sought out Emily, who ran the front office when she wasn't available. It wasn't difficult as all the members present were staring at her agape, unable to control their shock at her behavior. "W-who was t-that?" Tara demanded, stuttering. Emily exchanged looks with a few others. Those people had affected their beloved Tara in a profound way if it caused her to stutter. An affectation that had taken her many years to fully overcome.

Emily was still holding the paper with Logan Cale's numbers in her hand. She hadn't told them that Tara was to be back for her three o'clock class. And only because when Tara was running late, it was hard to say precisely what time she'd arrive. So Emily came forward and handed her said paper.

"They said they were here looking for someone who used to have a business here," Emily explained. Tara took in the name written on the paper, but it meant nothing to her.

"T-the girl," she wondered. "Who w-was she?"

Sandra, the girl that had sold them the necklace took a step forward. "I think her name was Buffy." And then her eyes went wide. She'd been there a little longer than most, almost from the beginning. "Wasn't that the name of the Slayer you knew?" A hush settled on the room as some of them, those who were familiar enough with how Tara had come to Los Angeles, realized the impact of what had happened.

Tara nodded. "It was. T-that was her. I t-think. Oh Goddess," she moaned again and headed for the main desk. Everyone was quiet as she reached for the phone. She dialed a number extremely familiar to her. The number of the man she'd just left.

"Wolfram and Hart?" a chirpy voice announced. "How may I direct your call?"

"T-this is T-Tara Maclay," Tara announced, knowing that the receptionist knew her well enough to allow her call. "I n-need to t-talk to Angel."

"One moment please," the woman responded kindly. Tara waited a moment while the call was transferred. When the deep, familiar tone of one of her oldest friends greeted her, she felt a flash of heart-clenching fear. How could she say this to him? When his life had finally found peace, how could she shatter that? But for all their sakes, she really had no choice.

"Tara?" Angel spoke again into the silence. He'd been about to tease her for being so forgetful that she had to call as soon as she got back to the hotel, but now he was starting to worry. "What is it?"

"Angel?" Tara murmured. She took a deep breath and glanced back at the doors Buffy had so recently exited. "W-we have a s-situation."


	13. Chapter Twelve

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Twelve

_May 23rd, 2021_

Motel room, Los Angeles

Early evening

"Is she still looking?" Alec asked when he and Max had returned to the motel room with more food. Logan was sitting at the small table near the front door, watching his cousin. He glanced up at them and shook his head with a sigh. As soon as they'd returned to the motel, Buffy had ransacked the room until Alec had demanded to know what she was looking for. When she told him a phone book, he'd pointed out that she'd had to go to the phone booth down the road before. She shrugged; looking slightly embarrassed and then told him shortly that she had needed a walk. The phone book then had seemed incidental until inspiration had struck her.

So Alec had slipped out to procure the phone book for her. And after watching her frantic flipping through the thin pages for a while, both he and Max began to get a little stir crazy. So when Logan suggested they go get some dinner, they both jumped at the chance. Logan elected to stay behind with Buffy, given her reaction at the diner earlier. And while they were out, Alec couldn't resist asking Max where the LA hot spots were. As they wandered around, Max had pointed out different places that she'd ripped off; good places to eat and places to avidly avoid.

So they were a little later than they expected to be. But they'd found Max's favorite Chinese restaurant and came back with their arms laden. The smells emanating from the non-descript brown paper bags were enough to make Logan sit up and take notice. Max had asked for and received some paper plates from the restaurant along with the obligatory chopsticks, so they didn't need to worry about dividing up the boxes. But as she was unpacking the bags, she noticed that Buffy so far hadn't displayed any interest, in their return or the food. With a sigh, she nudged Alec, who looked up and regarded the blonde woman thoughtfully.

"Hey Logan?" he called softly. "Got a pen and some paper?" It wasn't really such a long shot. The other man liked to be prepared for any eventuality. Logan nodded and pulled the items out of his bag. He set it on the table, close to Alec, who ignored it for the moment. The younger man busied himself with putting small portions of everything they'd purchased on one of the plates. He next filled another plate with larger portions. Max watched with a roll of her eyes as he picked up both plates, then looked askance at the pad of paper. She picked it up and raised both her eyebrows questioningly. Alec just flashed her a grin and moved over to the bed that Buffy sat on, beckoning Max to follow.

Buffy glanced up nervously as the bed dipped a little, but relaxed when she finally realized that Max and Alec had returned. She'd been locked in on what she was doing. The purpose that was driving her had managed to block out the things she couldn't think on right then. Like how much her world had changed in her shocking transition from life to death and then back again. Like the fact that her so-called cousin was adamant that her sister was dead. That Angel had disappeared and she'd been unable to sense him or his presence at the hotel. Or about the fact that she very much wished that she wasn't here. In this world.

All of it seemed to rush back in on her when those green, sympathetic eyes caught and held hers. And Buffy did the only thing she could think of, the only defense she knew at the moment. She shut the emotions down. They were too many and too painful to deal with. She supposed it must have shown somewhere in her face, maybe in her eyes because Alec grimaced. But he regrouped quickly and held out a plate of food to her. Buffy just sat cross-legged on the bed, her hands resting on the open phone book that rested in her lap.

"Take it," he commanded softly, settling the plate closer to her hands. Resigned, Buffy turned her hands over and he placed it on her palms. "Eat. And don't tell me you're not hungry." Buffy didn't make any reply. How could she make him understand that the food was like ashes in her mouth? But Alec pretended not to notice that there was little change in her demeanor as he took a seat beside her. He stretched his legs out and balanced his plate on his lap. He took the paper and writing instrument from Max who casually turned away to go back to her meal.

"You really should eat something Buffy," Logan chimed in from the table. Buffy wanted to ignore him, but sometimes his voice reminded her of a buzzing insect hovering around her, driving her insane with its continual noise. She wanted to swat at him, but that required effort she just couldn't seem to summon. Her head drooped a little and she squeezed her eyes shut. The length of the day was taking its toll on her, but as much as her body yearned for rest, her mind warred with the images she knew were waiting to torment her in sleep.

"So here's what we're going to do," Alec spoke, disregarding the fact that Logan had been talking to his cousin. He flipped open the pad of paper and sat with the pen poised in his right hand. His left hand already was employing the chopsticks expertly, as if he'd multitasked like this before. "I doubt that everyone you knew moved to Los Angeles. So we'll make a list of everyone you want to find. Logan has some really good connections and possible ways of finding them back in Seattle. If we don't hear from that lady right away, we'll head back there and keep searching." He didn't bother to okay it by her, but quickly wrote down the name of 'Angel' at the top of the sheet.

"No," Buffy whispered. Again things were warring inside her. She wanted, needed to stay put until she found some familiarity to ease her painful rejoining of a world she thought behind her. But cold hard logic told her that she needed to do whatever she could to find Dawn. Her sister, the Key. Alone and unprotected in this vile world.

"Yes," Alec countered mildly. "So who else?" He waited expectantly. Finally, she sighed and readjusted herself, careful not to spill her plate. If nothing else, the residual warmth emanating from the plate was nice.

"Giles," she murmured. Alec dutifully wrote it down as he ate.

"Is that a first or last name?"

"Mm, last. Rupert Giles."

Alec added a comma after the first and then wrote in 'Rupert'. "Any idea where he might have gone?"

"England," she replied unhesitatingly. "He's British."

"Okay, keep 'em coming," Alec nodded. And so the list continued. Cordelia Chase, who'd moved to LA around the same time as Angel and worked at the investigation firm with him. Buffy thought she might still be around, thought she wasn't in the book. Same with Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, who was also British. Then her attention turned back to those that had been the core of her non-blood family.

"Willow Rosenburg," she added and then glanced up, shocked as Logan dropped the can of pop he'd been drinking from. Luckily it was only a short distance to the table and the can remained upright. Her questioning eyes made him falter.

"Sorry," he apologized swiftly; hoping that no one would question why that name had given him pause. As it was, he felt like kicking himself. He should have recognized that name the first time he'd seen it on his computer screen. But Willow most obviously wasn't the only Willow in the world. And it never occurred to him just a few weeks ago, that the Willow he'd researched and the Willow who had been Buffy's best friend were the same. It made sense now, with what they'd seen with the redhead's attempt at resurrecting Buffy… with her Egyptian spells, for he'd recognized the name Osiris. Of course she would have been considered somewhat of a master of that arcane subject. Logan just wished desperately that he could avoid this subject for a while as well. He didn't imagine Buffy would take to kindly to be told that yet another person was dead.

Buffy simply watched Logan for a moment, then turned back to Alec. But he'd taken the second in which she'd glanced away from him to drop the pen and pick up her chopsticks. He had scooped up some concoction and was offering it to her. She shook her head quickly, but he seemed determined. "No," she uttered again, careful to keep her lips mostly together as she spoke so he couldn't slip the food in.

Alec sighed and set the food down. "Buffy, you need to eat to keep your strength up. You can't go looking for these people if you don't have the energy to move." She turned luminous eyes up at him and Alec swore under his breath. Why was he always a sucker for pretty girls with big, appealing eyes?

"Later?" she offered tentatively. Maybe she could stand to choke some food down, but just not right then. She was having too much trouble with the aftertaste of regret.

"Okay," Alec acquiesced. "Tomorrow. I'll hold you to that." Instead of the brilliant smile his charm usually rewarded him with, all he got was a small nod. She lifted up the plate and offered it to him. Alec took it and scooped the pitiful portions onto his own plate. He leaned over to set the empty plate on the floor, then straightened up to ask her, "do you think you could at least manage some water?" Buffy bit at her lip, then nodded again. He smiled with relief and then looked up at Max, who was calmly stuffing her face. "Max?"

"In a minute," she waved him off, her mouth full. She swallowed and gestured with her chopsticks at Buffy. "Got anymore names?"

"Xander Harris," she continued. "Alexander," she corrected with a tiny smile. But it was gone in a moment. "Tara Maclay. Anya Jenkins." She paused for a moment as a mild look of consternation passed over her features. "Maybe Riley Finn." She glanced at Logan. "He was in the army."

Logan frowned, trying to associate names with distant memories. "Wasn't he your boyfriend when your mom…?" he trailed off in horror at the memory he was bringing up. He scrambled quickly to cover. "Uh, wasn't he the one that…?" he'd been about to say 'cheated on you', but realized that wasn't any good either. But strangely, it didn't seem to bother her, much.

"He cheated on me and then left when Mom was sick," she finished for him. There was an awkward silence until Alec cleared his throat.

"Ah… anyone else?"

Buffy thought for a moment, her head tilted to the side. "Maybe… Faith?" But then she shook her head. "No, she's probably gone."

"Might not be," Max shrugged. "You never know." There was a ghost of a smile from Buffy, almost wistful.

"Faith what?" Alec asked, his pen still at the ready.

"Umm," Buffy thought for a moment then shrugged. "Wilkins maybe? I don't know." She turned back to Logan, since he was the one who they said would be doing this research. "She was in prison."

"What for?" he asked hesitantly.

"Murder," she replied softly, her eyes fluttering shut as a memory flooded her mind. She shuddered and her eyes snapped open again.

"Oh?" Logan formed the word as softly as she had. "What happened?" All three of them were wondering along the same lines, if this Faith had been the one to perpetrate the murder that Buffy had been accused of.

"She killed the deputy mayor of Sunnydale," she whispered quickly. The others exchanged puzzled glances. Apparently, like Logan had said before, a lot of murders happened in Sunnydale.

"Okay," Alec sighed finally, reading through the list so far. "Any more you can think of?"

Buffy's mind touched briefly on one other. But he'd be just as hard to track, if not more so than Angel would. And he wasn't someone she particularly wanted to track down. No matter what Spike had claimed, even if he had dedicated himself to helping her and protecting Dawn in those final days. There was no telling what the Vampire was like now, or even if he still walked this earth. "No," she murmured. "That's it."

_May 23rd, 2021_

Law Offices of Wolfram & Hart, Los Angeles

Early evening

"I can't believe this" Angel repeated, still somewhat in shock. He was staring across his desk at Tara, who sat in a chair pulled up close to his wide desk. On the surface, she seemed calm, but on closer examination, one could tell how upset she was. From the whiteness around her lips where they pressed together to the clenched hands folded in her lap.

"Well I can!" another voice rang out stridently. "It wasn't enough that Buffy couldn't stay dead the first time. Oh no, she has to come back and screw everything up again!"

"Cordy," Angel sighed even as he spoke chidingly. The tall brunette was facing him, leaning against the desk, her arms crossed over her chest defiantly. At his words though, she lost the defiant, mulish look upon her face. There was no denying that there had once been hard feelings between the two women, but Buffy's death had affected her profoundly. As it had everyone who knew the blonde Slayer. Her emotional outburst was just her knee jerk reaction to the shock and the immediate return of feelings that Cordelia didn't like. Namely inadequacy.

Angel turned back to Tara, who'd watched the by-play between them as impassively as she usually did. "Can you be sure it was really her?"

"A-as sure as I c-can be," Tara shrugged. "We d-did the spell on the amethyst she touched." Her words grew stronger the longer she talked the more she fell into a subject that was comforting and familiar to her. "The residual signature was Buffy's. But I don't know how that's possible. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Angel demanded. He could tell immediately that Tara knew more than she was letting on. The blonde sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"T-there's something th-that I've never spoken of," she went on. There was no use hiding this secret now. She wasn't sure that there ever had been, but for the major reason that it had been hope killed between the Scooby gang that they didn't want to perpetuate by telling the others of their plan. And their failure. She leaned forward, clasping her hands and leaning her arms on the desk. "A f-few months after Buffy died… Willow f-found a spell."

"Oh my God," Angel breathed as he began to imagine precisely what Tara was alluding to.

"What?" Cordy demanded. "What kind of spell." Her eyes darted back and forth between the two. "I don't understand." Tara took a deep breath.

"A resurrection spell."

Angel seemed to recover his ability to speak, and right along with it, his righteousness. "I can't believe you did that!" he raged, springing up from his seat. Tara almost cringed back, but she had worked too long and hard on her self-esteem to instantly cower before her friend. "Why? How could you try something like that?"

"W-we were desperate," she told him, trying to maintain her emotions. Even though it had been so long ago, she still felt twinges of guilt about their actions that night. "Gangs of demons were running loose, the vampires were increasing. B-but it doesn't matter. We didn't succeed. Obviously."

"But how?' Angel demanded again. "She would have come back… something dark and unnatural…"

"Not necessarily," Tara shook her head. "It was a magical death, not a natural one." Angel stared at her in disbelief until he finally lowered his head in resignation.

"What are we going to do then?" Cordy demanded. "Are you going to call these people?"

Tara pressed her lips together, coming to a decision. As much as she wanted to trust her eyes and other senses, there was something she needed to see for herself, before she'd fully believe it. "We need to go to Sunnydale."

_May 23rd, 2021_

Motel room, Los Angeles

Late evening

"We need to go to Seattle," Logan sighed, resigned. He'd been checking his cell phone, but there were no new messages on it. Not that he should have expected any. The phone hadn't left his side all day. He would have heard it ring. And if he hadn't, Max or Alec would have. He directed the comment to Buffy, knowing that the two transgenics would be in agreement. There were things they needed to get back to. Namely their jobs and friends.

"Not yet," Buffy continued her previous stubborn argument. She took another sip of water from the glass that Max had finally procured for her. She kept hoping that the sip she took would satisfy Alec, but he was still hovering over her like a prison warden. She had drunk half the glass by now and as she had imagined it would, the hard city water wasn't sitting well in her stomach. It would have been fine if she'd had something of more substance in her stomach, but at the moment, she didn't care for that route. She'd suffer the mildly uncomfortable roiling of her abdomen, rather than the certainty of everything coming back up again.

"Buffy, I really doubt this lady's going to call," Logan finally tried. "Emily said that they didn't move into the hotel until 2013 and the place was empty long before that. I really don't think that they have any information whatsoever on your friend."

"And as to that other chick, Cordelia" Max chimed in, "she probably got married or moved away. A lot can happen in twenty years."

"Yeah," Buffy conceded. "I guess. But…" Couldn't they see that right now LA was the only connection to anything that she had. And it wasn't even a sure connection. There was no reason for her to stay here, other than the desire to find her sister. And with the strangely developed sensation that she could actually feel her sister's life force, Buffy didn't know which way to go on this. Somehow to her, leaving California felt like running away. And if she were truly honest with herself, part of her did want to run. But the overly sarcastic part of her psyche that seemed to have been resurrected as well told her that things wouldn't change; she wouldn't change no matter how far she ran.

"Look," Alec broke in, "if the woman from the hotel doesn't call us by morning, we'll head back to Seattle. There isn't much Logan can do here to help you," he pointed out equitably. He reached out to tentatively rub her shoulder, the action growing stronger when she didn't recoil from the touch. "Just because we're going back there doesn't mean we won't come back here if we need to. Okay?"

Buffy stared up at him. She couldn't fathom why this stranger was trying so hard to make things easier for her. He'd been blunt with her, tried not to pull any punches. Somehow, his empathy and then complete disregard of taking the gentlest path with her had earned him a little respect. Somehow the pity she could see in Logan's and Max's eyes nearly made her come undone. It elicited the fear in her that they'd see something deeper, somehow know the truth of what she was. What she had tired of in her former life. The weariness she'd carried since even before her mother had become sick. And right now, she couldn't summon the energy to deal with those emotions again. It was so much easier to leave them behind. Focus on the task at hand, finding and ensuring Dawn's safety. Then maybe she could rest.

And if that was the purpose, to find Dawn, then she needed to go where the information was. And it wasn't here in LA. Finally, she gave in. She was starting to trust Alec, just a smidgen. He hadn't steered her wrong yet, and there was something in him that cried out to the person she had been. The person she couldn't afford to be right now. But she didn't know how else to behave, so she didn't. With supreme will, she shut down the small tendrils of what could have been friendship between them, steeling her face as she gave her answer. "Okay."

_May 24th, 2021_

Motel room, Los Angeles

After midnight

Alec glanced down quickly as he felt the splash of water on his leg. He held back a smile. Buffy had finally fallen asleep. They'd been watching television for the past few hours. Logan was sound asleep on the other bed and Max was sprawled in one of the chairs she'd angled under the lamp hanging by the window. She was reading something, but every so often, Alec would see her attention being caught by the local programming. He'd suggested once that he should move so she could lie down comfortably, but she'd just waved the suggestion off.

He wanted to kick himself that he hadn't thought to take the glass from Buffy the first time she'd started to nod off. But she'd shaken herself back to wakefulness almost immediately. And had taken another sip of water to cover the fact that she was slipping into slumber. She almost dared Alec to say anything about it when she had glanced up at him, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

But now, there was a damp spot on the thigh of his jeans. It didn't bother him, since he'd been in much more uncomfortable situations. So with a sigh, he reached now for the empty glass and was relieved when it came loose easily from her slack grasp. He set it carefully on the floor where he'd deposited the plates from dinner earlier. When he straightened back up, he realized his mistake. Buffy had slipped to the side he'd vacated and now she was leaning against him. He glanced helplessly at Max who just grinned arrogantly and deliberately buried her nose back in her book.

This sort of situation wasn't ever a problem for him. Extracting himself from a sleeping woman didn't bother him. He usually made himself pretty clear that he wasn't looking for involvement, so when the time came for him to leave the lady of the evening's bed come morning, he'd just jump up and head off. If they woke up, oh well. He didn't have much practice in trying to keep a woman asleep while he maneuvered away from her. But in this instance he knew that was precisely what he had to do. It shouldn't be hard for a soldier of his caliber, trained in stealth and all that.

So Alec thought on it a moment and then reached across her with his free arm, and hugged her slightly to him. Buffy stiffened a moment in her sleep and then relaxed. Alec carefully scooted himself lower, relieved when her body seemed to follow naturally. He had to let loose of her shoulders and reached down to hook his arm around her knees. A slight tug and her body shifted again to find a comfortable position, her hips shimmying lower on the bed. Finally he was satisfied and let go. Her head rolled to the side as he eased off the bed and he held his breath for a moment, but she didn't wake.

With a self-congratulatory grin, he padded over to his bag and grabbed up his nightclothes again. He saw Max watching him and he winked cheekily at her. She just let loose a light snort and rolled her eyes. Without words, he headed for the bathroom to change. He'd sack out for a few hours, then see if Max needed him to relieve her so that she could get some sleep.

He didn't know how much later it was after his quick shower and nightly ablutions. He'd just finished pulling his T-shirt over his head and down his torso to settle about the low-riding sweats, when he heard noises from the outer room. He heard Max call his name and he wrenched the door open to see Max trying to contain Buffy, who was thrashing on the bed. His eyes widened as he took in the blood on Max's face where Buffy had apparently slashed at her. He hurried to the bed, just as Logan began to wake up.

"What's going on?" Logan mumbled drowsily.

"She's having a nightmare!" Max called back as she struggled to keep from being kicked.

"Let her go!" Alec ordered quickly, not daring to touch either woman, lest he be kicked himself. He had seen immediately how Buffy's hands were curled into claws as she continued to fight some unseen barrier above her. Something that Max had become part of in her nightmare-riddled mind. Max was taken aback by his order, but then let go without verbal question. "It's not a nightmare," Alec spoke swiftly, even as his mind tried to formulate a plan. "She's reliving… it."

"Damn," Logan murmured as he sat up, helpless to know what to do for his tormented cousin. But then Max was moving into action again.

"Logan, open the door!" she ordered as she moved to the bed again. Alec was about to stop her but she brushed him aside. "Get some air in here." Logan scrambled from the bed, glad that he'd fallen asleep fully dressed still. He pulled the door open, hoping for a breeze.

Alec finally caught on to Max's plan as she shoved him to the other side of the bed. If Buffy were reliving it, they just had to complete the actions physically, hoping it would register mentally. Alec held his hand under Buffy's, bumping into it deliberately and as they'd hoped, her fingers curled around his, the motion repeated on her other side with Max.

"Come out Buffy," Max implored, her voice low and reassuring. At her nod, both transgenics pulled the still thrashing woman upright to a sitting position. Alec stepped to the side as he felt the slight breeze trickle through the room to them.

"Breathe Buffy," he urged, stooping close to whisper it into her ear. "You're free. You're safe. C'mon, take a breath." He had to continue along that vein for a moment as she gasped, trying to fill her lungs with oxygen, but finally the change in position, the soft, reassuring voice and the play of wind in her hair woke her up. Her hands clenched convulsively around Max's and Alec's and her head whipped around to take in each person as they stared at her.

Logan standing by the door, trying not to sniffle at what horrors his cousin was subjected to. Max, standing to her left, stroking her hand in what the other woman meant to be a comforting gesture. And Alec, closest to her, his eyes soft as he beheld her. Pity in every single one of them. And she was undone.

Her hands slipped from theirs to wrap around the knees she drew up to her chest. Her head fell forward and a shudder ran through her. Max and Alec exchanged concerned glances. "I can't do this," she cried out, a harsh ragged sob. "I can't!"


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Thirteen

_May 24th, 2021_

Motel room, Los Angeles

Morning

"How long is she gonna be like this?" Max demanded in a harsh whisper. Alec rolled his eyes. The same question, in various forms had been uttered by her all morning. And it wasn't as if he knew for certain. Hell, he wasn't sure that even after what they'd seen, that they'd ever understand the emotional and physical magnitude of what Buffy had been through. It gave him a headache just contemplating the physical act of her resurrection. He didn't even want to delve into the mental mindfuck of being dead and coming alive again on other levels.

"I don't know Max," he rasped out. They'd stayed up late, trying to soothe Buffy from her waking nightmare. But after her emotional admittance of momentary defeat, her face had gone stony and she had refused to respond to anything. Finally they'd called a halt, all of them exhausted in various ways. "It's not as if Manticore slipped me a booklet of ETA's on recovery time for the mentally ill and emotionally disturbed.

Logan's eyes hardened as he overheard this harsh conversation. He moved over to the other pair, his eyes blazing with anger. So many instances of their own problems flitted through his mind. They'd all had emotional and physical trauma heaped upon them. And they all let each other slide when it came to things like that. He didn't talk about his disability, how it had devastated him and his life. Max didn't talk too much about the effect of losing her siblings, or having to make choices that took them out of her life. Logan wasn't quite as sure what pained Alec, but knowing what he knew of Manticore, he knew there had to be something there. And what he did know, of Rachel, well, it simply occurred to Logan that none of them had room to throw stones.

Especially since of them all, Logan could only imagine that Max had come close to what Buffy had recently endured. Dying only to live again. But that was surely for such a short period that the effects of it weren't catastrophic in their scope. "Guys," he whispered loudly. Both Max and Alec turned their heads towards him. "Lay off," he ordered. Alec nodded as Max sighed and rolled her eyes. Logan pressed his lips together, longing to berate them, but he'd recognized immediately that the urge to lay into them was coming from his own feeling of nervousness. It wouldn't help any of them, Buffy especially if they were at each other's throats. It would just make the long drive home unbearable.

"Sorry," Max apologized stiltedly. Before either man acknowledged her word, she turned and made her way to her luggage. She pulled forth a change of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom, the door shutting softly behind her. The click of the lock being engaged echoed through the room. Alec and Logan continued to stare at each other, each measuring the other. Finally Logan broke away and approached his cousin. He took a seat at the edge, careful not to get too close. While she hadn't damaged Max's cheek too badly, just scratching it in her panicked response the evening before, Logan didn't want to provoke her.

"Buffy?" he waited for her to glance up, but there was no response. "It's getting late. That woman hasn't called. So we're heading back to Seattle as soon as we can be ready."

Both men were shocked when she did lift her eyes to him and murmur, "okay." Then her head drooped back down and Logan turned back to glance at Alec. The blonde man just shrugged. He certainly didn't know what to expect of her right now. Logan sucked in a deep breathe and then rose from the bed to make sure that he had everything that he'd brought with him. Alec followed suit in the silence that was only broken by the sound of the shower running beyond the closed bathroom door.

Half an hour later, they were ready to go. Buffy was again wearing borrowed clothes from Max, though her feet were bare. Logan had suggested stopping and getting some more shoes, since she didn't want to wear Max's extra runners, but Buffy surprised him by telling him just to go. Somehow she'd come to terms with leaving, but Alec suspected that she'd told Logan so because she was still tempted to stay.

They fell into a pattern the few days it took them to get back to Seattle, but it was one filled with unease and half-spoken sentences. There were things that couldn't be said, with Buffy around who was unaware of transgenics and Logan's alter ego of Eyes Only. There were things that no one wanted to say, like the thought of Willow's demise that weighed heavily. And there were plans and accommodations that no one seemed inclined to make. Finally an unspoken agreement seemed to be reached that things would work themselves out when they arrived.

_May 24th, 2021_

Breaker's Woods, Sunnydale

Early evening

"Oh my Goddess," Tara breathed as the trio of travelers broke into the clearing that housed their friend's grave. There was a slightly strangled gasp from behind her. Most likely from Cordy, judging by the tone. All three of them were stunned into immobility when they saw the remains of what should have been smooth earth and untouched reverence.

"What the hell happened here?" Angel demanded hoarsely. He crept forward, barely noticing that the two women stayed behind a little way. He sank to his knees, his eyes trained on the massive seeming upheaval of the ground. It hadn't been simply dug up in a methodic manner. No, the ground had erupted. Forcing himself to lean forward, he choked on a breath. The coffin was empty. And not only was it empty, it had been splintered apart… from the inside.

"Angel?" Cordy asked quietly, her arms encircling herself. She tilted her head to the side, pondering what to do next. The entire car ride from Los Angeles had been a bundle of contradictions for her. She wanted to go, discover what had happened. But there was disquiet clenching her heart, making it difficult to breath. In a burst of momentary anger, she let go of her ribs and twisted her hands together, worrying her fingers as she stalked forward.

Tara was stunned out of her immobility when Cordelia stomped forward. She was surprised that she was as emotionally invested as she was at this moment. By the time that Buffy had died, she was only just beginning to feel as if her presence within the Scooby gang was solidifying. And only because she had been such a large part of Willow's life. She honestly didn't think that without her place as Willow's girlfriend, the group would have given her the time of day.

But Buffy had been important to her girlfriend, ergo she had become important to Tara. Not just as a friend, but as Savior. Tara understood on an intrinsic level, instinctual really, about how important Buffy, as the Slayer, was to this world. And now, she owed it to the memory of that woman, all of them, really, to discover what had happened. She followed the taller brunette to Angel's side. As one, they peered over the ragged edge of the grave, both Cordy and Tara giving in to the horrific gasp as they strove to assimilate what they were looking at.

"H-how…" Cordy stammered out, her eyebrows coming together in consternation. "What the hell happened here?"

"Precisely what I was wondering," a heavily accented Russian voice rang out. The trio spun around, various small weapons falling to their hands naturally. They might have been gone from the Hellmouth, but you could never take the memories and caution of it away from them. A smallish, thin man stepped out from behind a large tree. His face was weather beaten, though the aristocratic definition of his features told of his Slavic antecedents clearly. His hair was black, though there was gray peppering his temples and shot through his Vandyke beard. He was wearing an impeccably tailored suit, though it looked as if he'd slept in it for a few days. The newcomer eyed them all with a wary apprehension. But a look of hunger on his face.

"And who the hell are you?" Angel demanded, edging himself forward so that if it came down to it, he could protect the women. Not that he ever believed them unable. But time and trauma still hadn't dulled the centuries old instinct that had been drilled into him from birth.

The older man studied the trio for a moment. His eyes roamed over the various degrees of weapons they carried. All three were holding at least one stake, possibly with more concealed. There was a vial of holy water protruding from the pocket of the light haired woman's jacket. The darker haired woman was holding a miniature crossbow, and had shaken her coat and hair back so that the cross she wore at her neck gleamed in the rising moonlight that slithered its way through the dense trees. The man sighed as he took a carefully calculated step forward. The weapons came up, in answer to his movement. And while the crossbow might look like something a child would play with, as a range weapon, it was the first to get his attention.

He held his hands out peaceably. "My name is Pietr Voskovic and I have come to… to." He trailed off. He knew why he had come. But could he really explain it to these strangers. Of course, their preparedness had given him a good clue to the fact that they were familiar with the daily aspects of what his life had become. But of course, they might be amateurs, who'd stumbled upon the existence of vampires by pure chance. It was a common occurrence. There was a moment of silence as the blonde looked enquiringly at him. Then realization dawned upon her.

"Oh! You're a-a Watcher?" she demanded. Pietr looked shocked for a moment, but realized that the other two seemed on the verge of relaxing their vigilance, depending on his answer. And in memory of her, he could only answer the truth.

"I was," he confirmed with a slow, sad nod. He glanced away from the group, to his displeasure, his eyes were misting over. "My Slayer, Tania… she died. Two days ago."

"I'm sorry," Angel murmured carefully. Pietr nodded and there was silence as he quickly strove to regain his composure. Once he'd straightened himself out, the brunette took charge.

"But if your Slayer's dead, why are you here?" Cordy demanded. "Then she looked back at the grave. "Or did she die here? Did we miss another apocalypse?" Pietr frowned at her. She sounded almost… disappointed.

"No, no," he assured her quickly. "She died in Russia."

"Okay," Angel nodded. He, to the casual eye, crossed his arms over his broad chest, but Pietr could see that he was still ready to spring to action. A true warrior, ready to battle from any given moment or position. The other were similarly stanced, a weary readiness coiling through all three of them. They had seen many battles, he was sure of it. "But," Angel continued on, "that still doesn't answer the question as to why you are here. Now."

Pietr cleared his throat. The longer he was around this threesome, the more he believed that he should know them. There was something commanding about their presences. But he fought against the urge to pour out his tale. Grief had its place in the life of a Watcher, but it was not out in the field.

"I am sorry," he apologized politely, if coolly. "But I can not divulge my reasoning on such short acquaintance. Suffice to say that I am here and will do what I must."

But the blonde was more canny than he realized. "Wait," she breathed out as the others quickly turned to her. "He was a Watcher. His Slayer died. The next must have been called." She paused as she turned to take in the disrupted ground behind them. "And now he's here." Tara's hand shakily covered her mouth. "Oh my Goddess."

Everyone's eyes widened. Angel and Cordy, from realizing that once again, that Buffy, who had been dead for twenty years, was once again The Slayer. Pietr of course, was amazed that she'd put together his motivation to make this trip so quickly. They were well aware of Slayers and Watchers indeed if they knew of the process this intimately.

"Angel," Tara spoke his name softly and gestured for him to follow her away from Pietr. But on the calm night, the name carried to his ears all the same. And Pietr felt a cold chill run through his heart. Of course he knew these people. They were legends in their own rights. As soon as he'd heard the name, Angel, all of his research and learning came rushing back to him. Angel, formerly Angelus, Scourge of Europe, reformed Vampire. There was more, of course, as the interest in Angelus had never waned.

The one talking with him was the renowned Wiccan, Tara Maclay, founder of the Lamia Portus Commune. The commune had once provided information to help stop an apocalypse years ago, that even so, had still claimed the life of a Slayer and many innocents before collapsing in upon itself. The commune had no interest whatsoever in maintaining a working relationship with the Council of Watchers. But they were above the pettiness of letting innocents suffer just because they opposed how the Council ran their business.

And the last Pietr realized, was of course, Angelus' partner. The one that defied all odds, much like her Slayer friend had. The half-demon Seer, Cordelia Chase-O'Connor. She was well known to the Council as well because of the way she'd run roughshod over them many times in her ambition to save as many of the helpless as she could from what she'd termed their 'bumbling, ancient-ass, Tweed wearing, tea-sipping, joke of a plan ways'. And the fact that she'd birthed a Goddess. No one was ever quite sure how that one had come about, and she certainly wasn't talking about it.

But before he could continue the internal cataloguing of these people before him, Cordelia was sidling up to him. He noted that her crossbow was still resting easily in her hand. "So?" she drawled out, one eye on him, the other on the duo conversing rapidly and quietly away from them. "How's your Slayer die? Was it a big slimy demon? Or a pack of Vamp's roaming the snowy streets of Leningrad?"

"No," Pietr whispered harshly, averting his eyes. The guilt in his role in Tania's death would forever haunt him. He had accepted that already. "It was… The Cruciamentum."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Fourteen

_May 29th, 2021_

_ 7:30 p.m._

_Seattle__, WA_

_ Sector Checkpoint_

"Uh huh?" The statement was cold, quick and told the occupants of the vehicle that despite the reputed mental prowess of his compadres, not all sector cops were idiots. He obviously didn't care that Buffy had a visitor's pass issued in Los Angeles. That was a long way away from Seattle and information transfers could take some time. The other explanation, that she'd lost her identification papers in a house fire was accepted. But Logan's cock and bull story about being Buffy's only living relative, while true in his mind was being mulled over by the officer in question. He could see with his own eyes that Buffy wasn't a child and therefore should have been able to provide for herself and not depend entirely on an older cousin. But at that moment, the woman he was studying glanced up.

The complete blankness of emotion on her face was enough to convince him that indeed, a tragedy had befallen her. And that perhaps she wasn't in a state to care for herself. But orders were orders the officer supposed. The other occupants in the car noticed the byplay of his face and Alec quickly nudged Logan's arm.

'_Give him money,'_ he mouthed silently. Logan nodded, having been thinking along those very lines himself. His wallet was already in his lap, to provide his own identification. The officer still held that, as well as Max and Alec's Jam Pony sector passes. As unobtrusively as possible, Logan removed the last of his billfolds, folding them over. With a hopeful smile he leaned a little further towards the officer.

"I was wondering sir, if you could tell us where we could get the information needed to get my cousin new identification papers?" he asked softly. It didn't matter what he asked, he just needed to make the transaction not so obvious. The officer, while clearly not stupid, seemed just as willing to be bribed as many of the others of his ilk. He'd caught the gesture and with practiced ease, switched the money for the identifications he held. He glanced quickly at the bills and nodded.

"Just a moment sir," he gruffly answered. He stepped away from the vehicle, though his rifle was still at the ready. Logan raised an eyebrow at the manners the officer showed. Mostly, when one was bribed, there was a sneering undertone to the words thrown his way. As if he'd just proven that all humans were the same. Like it put them all on the same level. He supposed that people reasoned that if someone was slimy enough to take a bribe, the person offering the bribe was just as repugnant. But now of course, wasn't the time to get into those thoughts again.

It only took a few minutes for the sector cop to return, more papers in his hand. Logan listened in slight relief as the officer explained that until Buffy received her ID from an approved government source, Logan would be held responsible for her actions and behavior. Logan agreed, signed the proffered paper and the officer handed him a temporary visitor's pass issued in Buffy's name. Once she received her ID, Logan could then bring her to a police station and they would remove her name from their list.

It wasn't exactly what Logan hoped for, but it was better than nothing. Slipping the paper into the clip on his driver's side visor, he smiled his thanks and rolled up his window. The guard returned to his hut to open the gate to allow them entrance to the city proper. Logan put the car into motion and heard the sighs of relief from all around. All but one. He glanced up in his rearview mirror to see that Buffy had once again returned to staring morosely out her window. He sighed and put his mind to heading home at last.

_May 29th, 2021_

_8:02 p.m._

_Seattle WA_

_Fogle__ Towers_

Logan pulled into the underground parking lot of his apartment building, sighing as he shut the car off. It hadn't taken long to drop off Max and Alec, seeing how Alec was just going to walk home from Max's place. They figured it was smarter to let Buffy be and give her a chance to acclimate to her new surroundings. Logan wasn't so sure about that. He was nervous about this. And really, he had good reason to be. He just didn't know how he was going to fit another person into his life, his surroundings. He didn't mind people visiting or staying with him. But generally, those people went elsewhere after a while. How was he going to handle being responsible for another person and an adult no less?

Logan shoved these thoughts to the back of his mind. He'd never know unless he got started. He turned in his seat to see his cousin with her head resting against the window. "We're here Buffy," he announced softly, wondering if the words would penetrate the fog she was in. "We're home."

Well that certainly got her attention. Her head popped up and she blinked, looking around. The confusion marring her features made Logan hastily backpedal.

"What I meant was, my home, your new home," he offered. He opened the door and clambered out. Despite not having feeling in the lower half of his body, he found that the rest of his body still suffered from traveler's fatigue. His back was aching and his arms were sore from steering for over eight hours today. He was pleased to see that Buffy was getting out of the car as well. He waited until she shut her door and hit the automatic lock on his car. He made sure that his keys were in his hand before shutting his own door. It wouldn't do to lock all your keys, car and apartment away when you needed them.

He moved around to the trunk, to get his bag, wondering what he was going to do for Buffy. They could do a little shopping, he was sure. His mind absently ran through some of the artwork he still possessed that he could sell to augment the small amount of funds left in his bank account. Again he put the thoughts out of his mind as he shut the trunk and turned to his cousin. "Well, let's go."

Buffy trailed after him as he led her to the internal elevator. She seemed to take note as he pressed the button for the corner penthouse. The ride up was swift and smooth, a blessing these days when so many simple things that used to be taken for granted seem to breakdown these days more and more. Again more thoughts crept in as he wondered how he'd explain more about the Pulse to her. And the after effects.

Logan unlocked the door to his apartment and silently moved out of the way to let Buffy in. She stepped in hesitantly, glancing around. Logan was reminded of how she'd behaved at the motels. Well, he wasn't so sure that he wanted her rummaging through all his possessions. Perhaps it was a good idea to lay some boundaries. He didn't think she was quite in the frame of mind to remember proper guest etiquette.

"I'll show you to your bedroom," he offered as he began to move towards the hallway. "Feel free to check the place out. But just be careful, a lot of this art is really fragile."

"It's pretty," Buffy offered quietly. The first thing she'd said in many, many hours. Logan was stunned momentarily, but then a huge grin covered his face.

"Thanks," he shrugged. He gestured then towards the kitchen. "Food's that way. I usually have something you can snack on. So you don't have to worry about cooking."

"Okay," she nodded. She wasn't inclined to comment on her cookery skills. And neither was Logan. As they continued on, they passed Logan's office and a sudden thought occurred to him. What about Eyes Only? How on earth would he explain that to his cousin? Did he even care to tell her about it yet? As he recalled, she wasn't big on keeping secrets for long. Things tended to get blurted out at inopportune times. What could he-?

"This is my office," he told her, tapping on the closed door. "I don't want to be rude, but I'll ask you to kind of leave it alone." She raised a single eyebrow at that and Logan hastily continued. "It's just that I have everything the way I want it and there's a lot of expensive, sensitive equipment in there."

"What do you do?" she asked, waving off his concern. He seemed a little surprised as she took an interest.

"Oh, I'm a cyber journalist," he announced proudly. He saw her look of confusion. "Instead of writing articles for a local newspaper, I publish in the internet," he clarified. Understanding dawned and she nodded.

"I… remember," she stumbled a little, her face features scrunching together. "You liked to write, right?"

"I sure did," Logan grinned. At last, here she was, making an attempt to reconnect with him. He felt his heart swell. He had been sure this would happen. Just as he'd thought, she'd just needed a little time. "But as I was saying, I have some material of a sensitive nature in there, so I'd appreciate it-."

"I got it," Buffy nodded tiredly. "The office is off limits."

"Okay then," Logan breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't seem offended. And maybe one day, as they got to know each other a little more, they could share some of these secrets they each had locked away. After a few more steps, they arrived at the guest room. Like he'd been taught, it was all made up, just awaiting its next occupant. Logan opened the door and Buffy stepped through the threshold. She took a seat on the bed, not even bothering to glance around.

Logan sighed as she seemed to slip back into that silent fog where nothing existed but her own mind. "I'll uh; I'll just go fix us something to eat." No response there. "And maybe find you something to sleep in." Again no response. "Well, I'll just let you get settled in then." He pulled the door shut, his hand resting on the doorknob. What on earth was he getting himself into?

_May 29th, 2021_

_8:20 p.m._

_Seattle__, WA_

_Max's Apartment_

"Well I'm just glad you made it back in one piece," Original Cindy stated as she hugged her best friend briefly. Max and Alec had arrived at her apartment building and waved Logan and Buffy away, only to be greeted by Max's roommate, who looked as if she were about to head out for a night on the town. But taking in their tired, resigned faces, she had decided it could wait.

She'd made coffee and they'd taken turns relating the tale to the stunned woman. Yeah, knowing Max and Alec was to know some freaky things went on in this world. But what they'd told her in the last half hour was beyond anything she'd ever imagined. Even discovering that her best female friend was a genetically revved up killing machine didn't compare. Because at least back then, she'd known that there was something up with her friend. So that little bit of warning had, in the end, made everything easy to accept.

But Logan's cousin magically being resurrected after twenty years. That was weird in like, a Twilight Zone type of weird. She noticed Alec yawning and smiled. She was so used to her Boo's non-sleeping ways that she forgot often that not all X-5's were programmed the same way. But even by that token, Max wasn't looking perky fresh either.

"I should probably head home," Alec announced after his jaw decided to stop cracking against the tremendous pressure his tiredness evidenced. "After all, Normal will be expecting us bright and early."

"Which means noon," Max joked.

"Yep," Alec agreed fervently. "Though at least I can get away with it."

"Uh sugar," Cindy interrupted with a small smile. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." At their inquisitive glances, she explained. "Normal blew up at work the other day and fired three more kids, so we're runnin' shorthanded again."

"Ah crap," Alec moaned. He glanced over at Max. "Want to pretend we're still on vacation and grab an extra day."

Max pretended to think it over. "It'd be nice, but I'm actually looking forward to doin' something ordinary, you know. This last week has just been too freaky." She rolled her eyes, and then chuckled. "So says the freak."

"You took the words out of my mouth," he chuckled along with her. Cindy smiled again. It was nice to see the two of them getting along. Maybe a relaxed evening with friends was just the tonic they all needed. She settled back in her chair.

"But anyway," she continued the thread of the conversation, "yo' friend Biggs has some 'friends' lined up for interviews." Both transgenics could hear the stress she put on that word, knowing immediately what she meant. "But Normal's waitin' on yo' ass to get back before he hires more reprobates."

It was Alec's turn to roll his eyes. "Probably wants me to give them the golden boy stamp of approval." He smirked. "You know, sometimes being perfect really has its drawbacks."

Max scoffed and pulled the throw cushion she was leaning against and smacked him with it. "Oh shut up! You're far from perfect. If anyone is perfect here, it'd be me. You know, the DNA says it all."

"Then perfect includes snoring?" Cindy demanded with a twinkle in her eye. To both her and Alec's enjoyment, Max snorted.

"I don't snore!" she protested. "I don't even sleep."

"Oh I could argue that," Alec taunted. "You may not sleep a lot, but you do sleep." He glanced at Cindy.

"And then bring on the chainsaws," the black woman whooped. Max stared incredulously at her friend for a moment before she gleefully turned the pillow attack towards the other woman.

Ten minutes of frenzied laughing, pillows flying and even some tickling passed before things settled down again. Alec dropped the pillow he'd snatched from Max back onto the sofa, and then heaved himself to his feet. "As fun as this is, I'm gonna head off."

"You need a ride?" Max asked quickly, thinking as to how they could balance his bag on her motorcycle, but Alec was shaking his head.

"Nah," he frowned, planning. "I think I'll walk. Maybe give Biggs a call. Get caught up on some stuff." The women knew he was referring to the transgenic situation, both in Terminal City and in Seattle at large.

"Okay then," Max nodded. She followed after him to the door. "We'll see you tomorrow." Cindy nodded and waved, a gesture that Alec returned. He slipped out of the apartment on quiet feet and Max shut the door. "It's good to be home," she whispered to herself.

_May 29th, 2021_

_10:46 p.m._

_Somewhere on the highway_

"So when do you think we'll get there?" Tara asked softly, not wanting to wake the other occupant of the vehicle.

Angel glanced at his watch, then back at the road. He thought for a moment before answering. "Should be sometime tomorrow night."

"And then we'll see Buffy," Tara concluded. Her emotions, just as she were sure was the same for the other two, were running rampant on the subject.

Angel glanced in the rearview mirror as Cordelia mumbled something in her sleep. "Yeah," he agreed softly. "Buffy."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Fifteen

_May 30__th__, 2021_

_9:00 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers_

Logan took a moment to adjust the tray in his hands. He shifted it around so that the load was evenly distributed and then prepared for the trek from his kitchen to the bedroom. The guest bedroom where his cousin was still enclosed. As he shuffled his way along, he took note of everything he'd placed on the tray. Buffy's refusal of anything to eat the previous evening, Logan had attributed to travel fatigue. He was sure that she would be hungry this morning. And just to cover all his bases, he'd made sure to include a little something of the food groups. There was oatmeal, toast, meat in the form of hard to get sausages. He'd included fruit by way of jelly and orange juice and most importantly, there was coffee. And plenty more where the first cup came from. Like everyone else in Seattle, it was a mainstay of Logan's daily diet. The lanky hacker had the momentary impression that this fare was at least on par with what some of the local hotels were able to offer anymore these days.

When he shifted the tray and knocked on his cousin's door, he really had to strain to hear her admit him entry. The door swung open silently on its hinges and Logan carried the tray, quickly deciding to set it on the highboy dresser. After fussing with it for a second, he turned to the lonely figure occupying the solitary chair in the room. Buffy had moved the straight-backed chair from the corner to over by the window. Her head was leaning against the thick pane of glass, a desolate expression still marring her features. She was already wearing the same clothes that she'd worn the previous day. Or maybe she had never even changed out of them. Logan cleared his throat but there was no response.

"Breakfast Buffy," he informed her quietly. There was a lengthy pause and then she responded.

"Thank you."

Logan's eyes fell to the floor, still unsure how to deal with this recalcitrant version of his beloved cousin. He cleared his throat once more. "You should eat it while it's warm."

The pause was shorter this time. "I will."

Logan waited expectantly for her to follow through, but was disappointed. He searched for something to say, but was saved the pains of small talk when a knock sounded at his front door.

"Excuse me," he told Buffy politely, though there was no indication on her part that she'd noticed the disturbance. "I'll just go get that."

Logan vacillated about shutting the door behind him and finally decided to do so. If whoever was at the door came in, then there wouldn't be any awkward questions that Logan wasn't prepared to answer. He'd deal with things if by chance Buffy was curious enough to exit her room. A very long short at this point, it seemed.

But it wasn't to be a cause for concern yet, since it was Max at the door. She smiled as she held up two shopping bags. Logan waved her in, tilting his head inquiringly. After glancing once around the apartment and not seeing Buffy, Max deposited the bags on the low coffee table before doffing her messenger bag.

"So I was talking to Cindy 'bout what happened in California," she began.

"You told Cindy?" Logan demanded, slightly startled. And to her credit, Max looked slightly abashed, just a degree.

"I didn't intend to," she hastily explained, "but it was kind of hard not to. You don't have to worry," she hurried to add. "Cindy's lips are sealed."

"Oh, no, that's fine," Logan shrugged. He'd learned long ago how reliable the young woman was. "Anyways," he motioned for her to continue. Max sat on the couch and began removing items of clothing from the first bag.

"We figured that Buffy could probably use a few change of clothes until she can get some stuff of her own." Naturally it was a logical conclusion for a person to make. "So OC and I decided to donate a few things each."

Logan smiled as he picked up a t-shirt that he was sure he'd seen Cindy wear before. "What, no Xena logos?" he joked. Max returned his smile with one of her own.

"She'd kick anybody's ass for ever suggesting she give up her Xena," she assured him. Logan dropped the shirt on the small pile and reached for the other bag, upturning it easily. His brow furrowed as he took in the brand new items of the feminine nature.

"And then I stopped at the store for anything else I thought she might need right away," Max finished. She quickly gathered up the largesse, figuring that Logan probably wasn't interested in the plain white cotton bikini undies his cousin would wear. Her assumption proved correct as Logan moved to replace the other clothes into the first bag.

"I wasn't aware that the store was open so early in the morning," he teased.

"Well, not to the general populace," Max retorted archly.

"But you were a special case?" he asked lightly, knowing exactly how she'd accrued these items.

"Always," she quipped. She placed the last item, some deodorant, in the bag and leaned it against its counterpart. She stood suddenly, smoothing down the thighs o her pants. "Well, I should go."

"Yeah, yeah," Logan stepped back, unsure at the sudden change in conversational direction. "Are you going to work?"

"Yeah," Max nodded as she picked up her messenger bag. She fit it over her shoulder and fiddled a bit with the zipper. "Normal's short some workers and Alec and I figured we better head in."

"Okay. Well, I won't keep you," Logan acquiesced. As he followed her to the door, he happened to catch sight down the hallway of Buffy's door slightly cracked open. "You know," he spoke slowly, as if the thought had just occurred to him. "Maybe you could come over later tonight and help us out. You know, figure out where to go from here." He had lowered his voice to a whisper. Max's face was thoughtful as she mulled over his invitation. He noticed that she was staring down the hallway, at Buffy's door and he wondered if she realized that Buffy was in there, probably listening.

"I wouldn't want to intrude," she offered, her voice raised slightly, confirming Logan's suspicion. He glanced behind himself, but didn't see any indication of his cousin. "Well, you can call me later and we'll decide then."

Max nodded and opened the door. "Do you want me to bring Alec? In case I do come?"

Logan resisted the urge to frown and instead chose to recall what a help the young man had been. And might still be if Buffy was intent on her monk-like ways. "Sure," he finally agreed, striving for amicable. "If he hasn't any other plans, he'll be welcome."

"Okay," Max stated with a small sigh of relief. "I'll tell him and then I'll call you after work."

"Sounds good," Logan returned, but Max had already slipped out the door to retrieve her bike that she'd left in the hallway.

_May 30__th__, 2021_

_9:20 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Jam Pony_

"Man oh man," Normal's voice was slightly higher pitched than usual. A fact that Alec credited to either stress of the excitement of seeing his favorite employee returned. Probably both, he decided as he pasted on the phony smile he wore as he worked. Charming and cocky, with just a hint of boyish enthusiasm. It was enough to disarm the majority of people he encountered during the day.

"It is so good to see you," Normal continued.

"It's good to be back," Alec sated simply. Before anything else could be said, another influx of workers poured in through the door, as unexcited as usual to be there. Alec and Normal both caught sight of Sketchy and right behind him, Cindy. After greeting some others and settling their bikes, the duo reached the counter.

"So where's the last reprobate?" Normal asked tiredly of Cindy. His eyes darted over to Alec again, "She didn't die again, did she?" Alec was startled to hear the underlying note of concern from his employer. But Cindy's disgusted scoff took the look immediately from his face and he forced himself to chuckle.

"Home girl's back, but she gonna be late," Cindy told him dismissively.

"Oh for the love of Mike," Normal whined, looking heavenward. "What now?"

"A friend of ours lost everything in a fire," Cindy explained easily. "Max is takin' her some essentials for her to use 'til she can get back on her feet."

"While that's very kind of her," Normal sighed in exasperation, rubbing his forefinger over his upper lip," why couldn't you have taken those things to your friend?"

"'Cause she's stayin' with her cousin and I don't know the man that well," Cindy stated, crossing her arms, silently daring anyone to challenge her logic, or authority on the manner. And true to form, they gave up as quickly as they'd started. Normal moved off to begin pulling out packages for the kids to deliver and the trio of friends moved off towards their lockers, greeting others as they moved.

Sketchy was done at his locker first and leaned against the wall, while Cindy carefully and artfully arranged her head scarf in the tiny mirror she kept in her compartment. Alec paid them little heed, but heard their conversation nonetheless.

"So who's this friend?" Sketchy demanded. "Do I know her?"

"You don't," Cindy answered succinctly.

"Is she hot?" was his next question and Alec smiled reflexively. Sketchy was always on the make and he knew exactly where his thoughts were going.

"Sketch!" Cindy was only slightly outraged. Possibly because she was unable to answer, having never met Buffy.

"Hey," he protested, a leering grin on his face, "even the beautiful have need of occasional sympathy and I am in the unique situation of being able to provide such sympathy."

"Oh really?" Cindy demanded scathingly, slamming her locker door shut. "And when did you ever lose your home from a fire?"

"Well technically speaking," Sketchy paused, "never. But I have lost many personal items of importance due to negligence during periods of…" there was a small pause as Sketchy considered how to phrase his experience to show himself in the best light possible, but Cindy broke in.

"Setting your pants on fire 'cause you fell asleep smokin' yo' ganja, does not rate, Sketch!"

Alec could see the flood of embarrassment rising up in Sketchy's face at having been routed by Cindy's keen memory.

"It does too," the skinny man retorted. "But that doesn't answer my question. Is this friend hot and needy? Or is she even straight at all, considering…"

"Considerin' what Sketch?" Alec asked, finally jumping into the conversation. "That she's Cindy's friend?" he answered for the other man. "She's Max's friend too. So what does that make Max?" Thankfully that took Sketchy off on another tangent as they all three, moved off to receive their first run of what promised to be a long day.

Max caught up to Alec close to lunch time. She apprised him of the situation as she had left it at Logan's. Both wondered quietly if Buffy had indeed been listening in to the conversation between her cousin and Max. If she had, both thought it could be a good sign. But as Alec pointed out, it could merely have been that the door hadn't been properly shut. Either way, they decided that it was probably best for them to run some interference between the cousins. They both realized, as it was entirely noticeable on the trip home, that Logan had too great of expectations. And Buffy was just unable and unwilling to fulfill them. And besides, they were undeniably curious as to this new enigma in their lives. So it was decided and Max felt a little lighter now that the decision was made. After work was over, she called from the Jam Pony headquarters. She agreed with Alec that they'd head over as soon as convenient, and with the hopes that Logan would feed them.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Sixteen

_May 30__th__, 2021_

_6:45 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers_

Max and Alec arrived at Logan's apartment, refreshed after their leisurely day of almost working for a living. Alec had persuaded Normal to let them go a little early, since it was Max's first day back after her so called illness. They'd swung by his apartment so he could drop his bike off and change, then headed to her place so that she could do the same. They had decided to take Max's motorcycle over with the intention that she'd drive him home when the evening was done.

And true to their expectations, they could smell delicious aromas wafting through the hallway as they approached the penthouse suite. Alec grinned as both his and Max's stomach's rumbled with hunger. "I guess we timed that right," he joked. Max just shrugged. After all this time and Alec still didn't seem to realize the extent with which Logan had been drilled with etiquette. Manticore could have taken lessons in that respect from Logan's paternal family. She knocked on the door and then tried it and found it open. They entered swiftly and found Logan half-risen out of his seat in the living room.

"Hey, you made it," he offered lamely as he finished rising.

"Well, we were invited," Alec quipped back, somewhat sarcastic.

"Where's Buffy?" Max asked quickly to head off any antagonism. Logan pointed down the hall.

"Bathroom."

The transgenics nodded and Logan gestured towards the kitchen. "I've got dinner simmering. Should be ready to eat in about fifteen minutes."

"And what has the culinary genius come up with for tonight?" Max teased. Logan smiled and tilted his nose up in the air, affecting a snobbish accent.

"Ah, tonight we have a delicately flavored vegetarian lasagna, complimented by namekos in wine sauce, accompanied by endive salad nicoise," Logan exaggerated. "And for dessert, a light, fluffy, lemon mousse."

"All that?" Alec deadpanned. He glanced at Max for translation, but she shrugged, as mystified as he at the specialty items named. He turned back to Logan. "Namekos?" he asked with a skeptical look on his face.

"They're mushrooms," a new voice explained. All three turned towards Buffy, who had just emerged from the bathroom. Alec and Max greeted her swiftly, trying to avoid awkward conversational pauses. Logan was just a little awed that Buffy knew what namekos were. Of course, not being able to cook didn't bar her from knowing her food.

"Well, we should go wash," Max decided, already moving to the bathroom that Buffy had just vacated. "Rode my bike over," she explained lamely. Alec busied himself with removing the light jacket he wore. Knowing that it would bother Logan and deciding just as quickly that he didn't care, he threw it over the back of the sofa. He turned to Buffy and took in the blank look on her face again. Yet there was something different in her eyes. She was watching her cousin and Alec could see from the corner of his eye that the older man was grimacing over his actions.

But instead of just directing her eyes in Logan's direction, Alec could see that she was cataloging his reactions. She showed no reaction to whatever information she'd taken it, but Alec was sure that something was happening with her. It was almost a relief. He wasn't sure he could handle another evening of not-all-there girl. He clapped his hands together lightly then rubbed them, bringing attention to himself.

"So Buffy," he began conversationally. "How was your first full day in Seattle?"

"Quiet." The answer came swiftly, but nothing else was offered.

"I worked in the office most of the day," Logan filled in for her. "Buffy got acquainted with the apartment. '_What she could of it.'_ He added silently. Max returned and Alec took his cue to imitate her earlier behavior, shaking his head as he went. It was going to be a long night, he just knew it. Maybe after an hour or so, he and Max could ditch and head to Crash for a beer. As soon as he thought it though, he knew he wouldn't. Having been stuck in a car and motels with Logan for over a week, Alec knew that Buffy needed more human contact than her justice seeking cousin.

In the living room, Max sat down on the sofa, away from Logan and glanced pointedly at Buffy. She patted the seat of the chair nearest her and was glad to see Buffy take the cue and seat herself in it. "So Buffy," she began, "I'm glad to see those clothes fit okay." Buffy was wearing a pair of Cindy's jeans with the cuffs rolled up once and a shirt of Max's.

"Yes," Buffy replied in a monotone. "Thank you." She glanced at Logan, then bit at the corner of her lip. "And your friend."

"It's not a problem," Max shrugged it off. "Cindy's closer to your size and she'd give the shirt off her back to help someone in need." That wasn't exactly the truth, but Max didn't feel it necessary to explain that Cindy's motto seemed to be 'any frined of Boo's was a friend of hers'. "When do you and Logan plan to go shopping?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed and she glanced at her cousin. Logan smiled at her reassuringly. "Maybe tomorrow?" he offered, letting her decide ultimately. Buffy shrugged. It mattered little to her at this point. And for those that knew her deeply or intimately, could take it as a sign of how far she had receded into herself that the prospect of shopping on someone else's dime hadn't inflamed her sense of style. They turned as a group as Alec returned to the living room, holding up his hands.

"Squeaky clean," he joked. "Can we eat?"

"Yes," Logan agreed, standing up swiftly. "Dinner should be ready. Buffy, can you put the plates around the table? We're eating in the dining area, since there are more of us."

Buffy barely nodded and moved over to the full size dining table. Max, watching her, knew the dining table could seat a dozen people if needed. More often than not though, Logan usually opted to eat at his island counter. He'd already set out the plates, utensils and glasses, and now they just needed to be arranged.

Max would have offered to help, but since they still didn't know what kind of transfer was necessary for the virus, it was better that she didn't touch anything that Logan was going to eat off of. Once Buffy was finished, everyone aside from Logan took their seats. Buffy had arranged the plates so that no one was sitting at an end of the table, as would have been usual if this had been an actual dinner party. Instead, she had set the plates, two on either side, more towards the middle of the table. All the cutlery was on one side, like a restaurant, without them being rolled into a napkin, and the glasses resting above and slightly to the right of the plates.

Logan returned swiftly, carrying the salad and several serving bowls. He set these on the table and encouraged them to start on the salad while he went back for the lasagna. There was a silent moment before Alec took the initiative and pulled the salad towards himself. He began dishing out servings, glad to see that the fancy sounding salad was just plain old salad that he was used to, with the addition of nuts. He gestured with the salad tongs, while eying Buffy and she gave him a half-hearted shrug. Taking that to mean that she'd take some, he filled a bowl for her and passed it over. She settled it on her dinner plate and politely waited until Alec had finished serving it up for everyone else.

Logan returned, holding the lasagna pan in one hand, with a hot pad draped over the same arm and a bowl full of the mushrooms. He set those down first and then made a slight show of arranging the hot pad on the table before setting down the pan fresh from the oven. He straightened up and smiled tightly at the occupants of the table. Max was reaching for the cut crystal oil and vinegar shakers to pour over her salad. Alec, remembering training from Manticore, was waiting for Logan to take his seat before eating and Buffy was just staring down at her plate.

"What can I get everyone to drink?" Logan asked, his voice soft, but still easily heard because of the silence in the room. "I have some white wine, coffee, tea..."

He would have gone on, but Alec smiled tersely up at him, "wine's good Logan. Thanks buddy." Next to him, Max nodded her agreement. Logan turned to look at Buffy. Technically, she was well able to drink if she wanted, but still...

"Oh," Buffy seemed startled when she realized that her cousin was looking at her. "Water is fine. Thank you."

Logan nodded and returned to the kitchen. He'd grab a goblet of water for Buffy and just bring the wine to the table. It wasn't as if this were a formal setting. He was back quickly enough and the silence was still just as pervading. He knew that it would probably be up to him to get the conversational ball rolling. He set Buffy's glass down before her and took his seat, the last one available, right next to her. Alec and Max were seated across the table, Max directly opposite him and Alec across from Buffy.

"So how was work today?" he asked casually of both transgenics as he reached across the table to pour Max some wine. That accomplished, he accepted Alec's glass and poured out a full measure. That done, he filled his own and set the bottle in the middle of the table, well within everyone's reach. The business of eating continued as Alec chuckled.

"Not too bad," he grunted. "Normal fired three more people while we were gone. So he was glad to see us back. At least some of us," he added with a small smirk directed at Max.

"I've got better things to do than spend all my days suckin' up to the boss man," Max snorted indelicately.

"Yeah, but if you did, then you might not have to work so hard Max," Alec pointed out.

"Please," Max frowned. "Dinner looks good. I'd rather be able to eat it than spend my night scouring my brain with steel wool to get the image of kissin' Normal's ass out of my mind."

"As if I ever-!" Alec began as Logan smothered what distinctly sounded like a small laugh.

"Normal?" Buffy interrupted quietly. She had yet to take a bite of her salad and seemed mostly to be just toying with her fork. All three faces swung around to look at her and she shrank back a little bit. But, encouraged by another sign of overt interest on her part, they weren't about to let her slip back into her solitude.

"Reagan Ronald," Max explained. "He's our boss at Jam Pony."

"Which is a bike messenger service," Alec added. "And he prefers to be called Ray. But he's so... _normal _he makes Logan here look punk by comparison."

"Oh," Buffy replied in a small voice. But now that they sort of had her talking, they weren't about to let her slip back into the nothingness of silence.

"So," Alec sighed as he directed his gaze to spearing more bits of lettuce, not wanting to scare the girl off by staring openly at her. "You obviously know your mushrooms. Any chance you inherited the family gene for gourmet cooking?"

Logan muffled another snort and all three guests threw various looks at him. He raised his napkin to his lips and shook his head. "Sorry. Just remembering the spaghetti dinner she made once."

"That bad?" Max asked sympathetically of Buffy and the blond shrugged again.

"I forgot to rinse the noodles in hot water," Buffy recalled vaguely.

"And the sauce was piping hot," Logan continued, his eyes dancing. "So when we tried to heat up the food in the microwave, we just ended up scorching the sauce. And if that wasn't bad enough, she'd mixed up the chili powder and the paprika."

"Well you know what they say," Alec grinned broadly at Buffy, trying to assure her that they weren't laughing at her, per se. "Cooking is a science. Or is it an art?" he asked, turning slightly in his seat to address Max.

"Both," she grinned. "And a chore as well. Why do you think I come over here so often?"

"And here I thought it was for the scintillating conversation," Logan mockingly whined.

"I knew a girl named Chantarelle," Buffy broke in and the entire table went silent, waiting for what they assumed to be a punchline of some sort. "But then she changed her name to Lily." They waited another moment, but nothing else was forthcoming.

"Did she know she was named for a mushroom?" Logan finally asked, recalling where the topic of conversation had started at. Buffy shook her head.

"Not until I told her. She was glad she changed."

"What was her last name?" Logan asked solicitously. "Maybe we can add her name to the people we're looking for."

"Don't know," Buffy grunted softly. "After her boyfriend died, she changed her name again. She was a runaway."

"Oh, that's too bad," Max sympathized after a moment. She understood on a small level, having lived on the streets numerous times between her escape from Manticore until the time she'd ended up in Seattle.

"So did you meet her when you ran away from home?" Alec asked, trying to keep the conversation flowing. He didn't realize until it was out of his mouth, that it really wasn't the best topic to approach. Especially when he caught all eyes turned to him, full of shock and accusation. But worst of all, Buffy's face had drained completely of the little bit of color that it had had. The girl didn't even bother with politeness, she just shoved back from the table and disappeared from the dining room. Alec let out a soft groan as Max and Logan's eyes darkened.

"Way to go Alec," Max hissed. "She was finally starting to open up..."

"No," Logan broke in. "It's my fault Max. I didn't tell Buffy that I had told you guys her life history. Although, just randomly bringing it up at the dinner table wasn't the best idea."

"No, you're right," Alec nodded, setting his napkin on the table and pushing away as well. "I wasn't thinking."

"That was obvious," Max snorted. "What are you doing?"

"Goin' to apologize," Alec frowned as he rose. Nothing more was said as he followed after Logan's distraught cousin. Or at least he imagined her to be distraught. She was extremely difficult to read. And Alec had had a lot of practice and instruction in being able to do exactly that.

Only vaguely aware of the entire layout of Logan's penthouse, Alec was glad that there was only two doors closed. The others led to Logan's bedroom, the bathroom and Alec was quite familiar with the door and room that housed Logan's study. Or rather, the Eyes Only room. Figuring that the door just down the hallway on the opposite side must have been the guest room, Alec took a chance and knocked softly at the door. He didn't hear anything from inside and boldly, turned the knob and nudged the door open.

"Buffy? It's me," he announced through the crack in the door. "If you want me to leave, just let me know. Otherwise I'm coming in." He waited a few minutes and not hearing anything to bar him, he pushed the door open fully, stepped inside and shut the door behind himself. His eyes adjusted very quickly to the dark atmosphere and he wondered if Buffy was still having trouble with her eyes. She seemed to prefer the darkness. So did he, but probably for very different reasons.

He saw her immediately, seated in a straight backed chair that was set before the expansive window. One ankle was crossed over the other, her arms also crossed with both hands tucked away. Her back was stiff, but other than that, Alec had no indication that he wasn't welcome. He took a seat at the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his thighs, his hands clasped loosely as he leaned forward to address her.

"Buffy, I'm sorry," he whispered gently, watching her for her reaction. "I shouldn't have blurted that out back there. It wasn't any of my business." There was no response. "But in my defense, Logan told us all this stuff about you and your life when we all thought you were dead." She flinched a little, not much, just a twitching of her shoulders and Alec winced inwardly. "And the longer you know me, the more you'll come to see that there are just some days when I'll say the first thing that comes to mind and offend just about everyone around me. Especially Max. But then, she's so easy to rile up, you know. Not like Logan, he usually keeps his cool. And I guess thinking about things, you know, the stuff he told us, it was a lot of conjecture on his part, since he was still just a kid when..." Alec suppressed a groan and let loose his hands so that he could rub one finger across the bridge of his nose. "Um, basically the points I'm trying to make are that one, I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn, especially if it upset you. Two, because Logan didn't have his information straight from the horse's mouth, I suspect it'd be better if we just forgot what he told us and start again. And three, if there is something you want to talk about, I'm here." Alec pulled in a deep breath, wondering just how much he could say without getting too into details. "I know it probably doesn't look it," he began slowly, "but Max and I? We haven't exactly had the apple pie American life. And we probably want to talk about it even less than you want to discuss your life. But if you ever do, want to talk, that is, we'd understand."

He waited again for some sign. But there was nothing. She didn't relax or tense up. She didn't blink or turn her head. She just continued to stare out the window. Feeling slightly defeated, and not liking it, Alec began to rise from the bed.

"It looks different," she spoke softly, her voice ethereal. Alec, half standing, paused and watched her. But she made no indication of what she was talking about and he had to take it to maybe mean the view outside the window.

"What?" he asked gently. "The city?" That got a nod. "You remember we talked about the Pulse?" he reminded her and he could see a crease appear in her forehead. "The city, well, the whole country actually, took a nosedive from the standards you were probably used to."

"A bomb?" she asked softly and Alec nodded when he noted her gaze turn towards him.

"I'll tell you what," he smiled softly at her, finishing the act of rising from the bed. "Forgive me for my horrible social gaffe and come back to the table and we'll tell you all about the Pulse again. That way, you won't be blindsided when you and Logan are out and about tomorrow. What d'you say?" He lightly bit his tongue as he watched her shrinking back at the thought. "Besides, we can't let Max and Logan hog all that lovely lemon mousse." He held out one hand to her and Buffy glanced from it to his face and back again. Slowly, she reached up her hand and Alec let loose a brilliant smile that became even brighter when the slightest hint of something finally touched her eyes.

He gave her hand a small tug and she gracefully rose. He led her to the doorway, her hand still grasped in his. "Do you want to know a secret?" Buffy asked and Alec could have almost said that her voice sounded slightly girlish.

"What's that?" he grunted, wondering if she were going to take him up on his offer so soon.

"It's just lemon pie filling and whipped cream," Buffy informed him. "And it only takes five minutes to make." Alec turned back to her, a slow grin broadening his lips.

"And let me guess," he smirked. "Logan would have us all believe he slaved away all day on it." Buffy nodded once and Alec returned the motion. "One of these days," he muttered, shaking his head, "I'm gonna bust that guy." He snorted, amused. "Making us all think he's this culinary genius. Pfft. French names and expensive food. That's all it is."

"Lemon pie filling is expensive?"

"Actually it is," Alec nodded, even though he'd never had occasion to buy the stuff. They continued down the hallway, her hand still swallowed up in his. "See, the Pulse affected everything about the economy, the price of food included. So what you would be used to paying for food, you're gonna have to get used to multiplying that by like..."

_May 30th, 2021_

_11:26 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Bedouin Breakfast Motel_

"Oh my God," Cordelia moaned as she looked around at their new current location. "This is... just gross."

"Suck it up Cordy," Angel grunted as he moved past her to place all the luggage at the foot of the beds. "It was the last room they had."

"Yeah, I know," Cordy shot back. "But they could have at least pretended to clean it up. I mean, look at this!"

"It's not like we're going to live here," Tara soothed as she moved to pick her bag out of the pile while Angel returned to shut the motel door. "It's j-just for one night." She didn't add the _'we hope'_ aloud.

"Right," Cordy nodded. "We'll hopefully survive the night here, which should be easy. We've all survived worse, haven't we? And then first thing in the morning, we'll call this Cale guy and take care of business. Right?"

"Yeah," Angel and Tara nodded.

"First thing in the morning," Angel repeated.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Seventeen

_May 31st, 2021_

_9:20 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Jam Pony_

"And this one's going to 26th and Cyprus," Normal directed. Alec gave a short nod and stuffed the last package in his messenger bag. Three runs, would take up his morning and then he could break for lunch. That wasn't too bad. He could live with it. "And remember, signatures," Normal warned, though he was smiling and it was more of a gentle nudge than his usual screaming tones.

"Got it boss," Alec chuckled. "Haven't been gone that long."

"Well," Normal drawled, "sometimes it takes a while to get back into the swing of things, you know?"

"I know," Alec nodded. He flipped the cover flap over the top of the bag and pulled it from the counter, tucking it over his head and settling it on his right shoulder with one easy, fluid movement.

"Hey!" Normal called over his head and Alec glanced to his left to see who Normal was catching next. Sketchy pushed away from where he'd been leaning against the lockers and moved in their direction.

"Yeah man?" Sketch replied in his usual desultory tone he reserved for dealing with the boss.

"Get up here and get your butt in gear," Normal growled, shaking a package in his direction.

"Way to go Alec," Sketch snorted. "Now you and Max are back, we're like, gonna actually have to work hard again."

"What do you mean again?" Normal demanded. "You've barely worked since the day you started here."

"Hey, I work," Sketch snorted.

"Not like Rock Star here," Normal whined, gesturing to Alec, who was trying to hide his grin. "He's set the bar and I fully expect you to at least try, try and get halfway there today. And speaking of expectations, can I expect Missy Miss in today?"

"You got me there Normal," Alec shook his head. Max was late as usual. "Don't keep tabs on the girl."

"Well somebody should," Normal groused, writing more addresses on his clipboard and then shoving packages towards Sketchy who took them reluctantly. "Huh," he muttered, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "That'd be a good idea."

"What would?" Alec grinned. He could just see where Normal's mind was going. "'Cause if you're talking ankle monitor's, you'll have mutiny." The tiniest of smiles graced his employer's face.

"Hey man," Sketch whispered, nudging his friend's shoulder and when Alec turned to him, gestured towards the main bay door of the building. "Wonder who the shy hottie is? Think maybe she's looking for a job?"

Alec turned, always happy to oblige the male tendency to at least check out the scenery, stretching his neck just a little to see over the heads of his co-workers as they milled about. His face cleared and he was sure a momentary surprise showed when he recognized the face peeking into the door, looking as Sketchy said, extremely shy and just a little terrified. "Buffy?" he breathed out.

"Dude?" Sketchy chuckled. "You know her?"

"Yeah," Alec murmured, wondering why on earth Buffy would be at Jam Pony. "Hang on a sec," he added and hurried away. The poor kid looked like she was going to bolt, or vomit and he wasn't quite sure which would come first.

"How does he do it man?" Sketch muttered in his wake as both he and Normal watched his progress. "He always knows all the hotties first."

"Talent, charm and good looks," Normal answered readily. "And that boy has got them in spades."

Sketch glanced sideways at his boss, shuddering over the fawning look that graced Normal's face.

At the same time, Alec was moving through the small crowd, his eyes fixed on Buffy, muttering apologies when he happened to accidentally bump into someone because he was concentrating on her. At the foot of the ramp that led up to the doorway, she seemed to have caught sight of him and the look of relief on her face was immense. Alec grinned. It was always good to be appreciated.

"Hey Buffy," he spoke quietly as he reached the top of the ramp. She had pulled back out of the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

She glanced around and quickly wet her lips. "Shopping," she told him succinctly. Alec grinned and furrowed his brow. He glanced back over his shoulder and shook his head.

"For a messenger service?" he asked glibly and turning back, caught a ghost of a smile. It was there and gone so swiftly, he questioned if he actually had seen it, but there was an accompanying spark of light in her eyes before she shook her head morosely.

"Um no," she shrugged one shoulder. "Logan let me out. He's parking."

"He let you out here?" Alec queried. Was the man an idiot? There was no way he should be leaving Buffy alone, especially in an unfamiliar city that had changed so drastically since the last time she'd been there. He could see immediately that the noise and light was already taking it's toll on her as she flinched back from his co-workers entering and exiting the building. "Well, why don't you come in and sit down and wait," he offered. "We've got an employee lounge. Kind of crappy, but there's a couch."

She didn't say yes or no, but after a moment, shifted her weight and Alec stepped back. She followed him, and glancing back at her, he saw her arms crossed over her stomach as she tried to make herself as tiny as she possibly could. Of course, he should have known that his polite offer would be broken by curiosity. It was one trait humans definitely had in common with his kind.

"And who is this lovely young lady?" Normal called out. Alec wondered if Normal was just being nice because of the deference Alec was showing her. He slowed to a stop, which Buffy easily complied with, not even bumping into him. He half-turned, knowing that the polite and proper thing to do was introduce her.

"This is Buffy," he smiled tightly, wondering how she'd react to more new people. "The young lady that Max and Cindy were helping out." He turned to Buffy and, gesturing with one hand, indicated his lanky friend first. "And this is Sketchy, and our boss-!"

"Ray?" she interrupted, obviously recalling their conversation from the evening before. And just with that one thing, Alec could see that Buffy had probably won over his boss for the rest of her life. Well, her second one at least.

"That's right," Normal beamed at her, obviously pleased that she called him by his preferred name and by the fact that someone had thought him worth mentioning to her, most likely Alec, since that was who she was with at the moment. "Reagan Ronald at your service. How can we help you at Jam Pony today miss?"

"Oh, I, uh," Buffy stumbled over the words, her cheeks flushing just a little by being put on the spot like that and luckily, Alec was more than ready to come to her rescue.

"She and her cousin are shopping today," Alec announced quietly. "And instead of waiting out on the street for him, she decided to come see us in all our glory."

"Ah, so you're the chick that lost everything in a fire, huh?" Sketchy grunted. Alec winced inwardly and started shaking his head at his friend over Buffy's shoulder. He and Max had never gotten around to explaining the cover story that Max had used as to why she'd been late the previous morning, to Buffy and Logan. Sketch seemed to catch the hint, as he abruptly fell silent.

"Yeah," Buffy nodded slowly. "Everything."

"Ahh," Normal nodded, "I thought I recognized that shirt," he gestured to the stretchy black shirt Buffy wore with a _Disgruntled_ logo on the front. As far as Alec could recall, it was an Indy's chick band that Cindy had been into when she was younger. And admittedly, Buffy didn't quite fill it out the same way, but she still looked okay. "Glad to see that not all of my employees have miserly attitudes when it comes to those in need."

"It was nice," Buffy smiled tightly.

"But I suppose if you're shopping today, you're in need of some more clothing?" Normal asked leadingly.

"A few things," Buffy shrugged. "I just..."

"Don't know where to go?" Alec filled in for her and she nodded again. He was amazed, that she was actually interacting with the people around her, though she did flinch slightly whenever someone got too close to her vicinity. "Well, if you want to wait for Cindy, she'd probably have some good ideas."

"What about Max?" Buffy asked, puzzled. And Alec could see that she was nervous, tense about meeting yet another new person.

"Where do you think she got what passes for her sense of style from," Alec smiled benignly down at her.

"Ah," Buffy murmured, more out of politeness than anything else.

"Anyways," Alec continued on hurriedly, understanding instinctively Buffy's need to get out of the spotlight, "boss-man, do you mind if Buffy waits in the lounge? It'll just be a minute."

"Not a problem," Normal grinned and shook his head. Both he and Sketchy watched the pair walking away from them. Finally, once they disappeared from immediate sight, Sketchy let out a gusty sigh and shook his head.

"So very, very jealous right now," he mourned.

"What for?" Normal scoffed, bemused as he turned his attention back to his packages and clipboard. "Losing your best drinking buddy?"

"Huh?" Sketchy was as usual, not at all quick on the uptake and Normal scoffed again, quickly readjusting his eyeglasses on his face.

"Believe me young man, that's the kind of girl you take home to meet your mother, not some random, fly-by-night floozy" Normal announced with a trace of a smile as they watched Alec's reappearance, heading for the cooler which stored the company's meager store of soft drinks for sale. Alec picked out two, dropped a few dollars in the honor jar and hurried back up to where he'd left Buffy sitting.

"An' what girl would that be?" Cindy asked as she made her way to the counter, having overheard at least the last part of the conversation. She frowned when Normal automatically began shoving packages in her direction. "Y'all can wait 'til OC drops her belongin's at her locker."

"Well then," Normal grunted and then whistled between his teeth and made a shooing motion. Cindy pushed away from the counter and locked eyes on her friend, Sketchy grasped the packages that Normal had waiting for him and carelessly shoved them in his bag as he trailed after the African American.

"Your guys' friend," Sketch finally answered for her as he leaned against the wall of lockers. "Buff-ay," he drawled.

"What she doin' here?" Cindy demanded gently as she went about her morning business.

"Don't know. Visiting?" Sketch shrugged. "She's up in the lounge with Alec."

"Poor girl," Cindy chuckled. "I s'ppose we betta go rescue the sweet thing."

"I don't know," Sketchy shook his head, easily amused b the whole situation. "Get this though, I think Normal thinks that Alec is seriously into this chick."

"That is strange," Cindy noted. "When has Alec ever really..." she trailed off, both of them knowing what she meant. Alec, aside from being friends with Max and Cindy, had never shown interest in a girl beyond a day or night's pleasure. Excepting maybe Asha of course. But nothing had ever come of that. Sketchy followed after Cindy as they made their way up the stairs that led to the disappointing employee lounge.

"And here's Cindy now," Alec announced quietly to the newcomer in their midst as she and Sketchy finished climbing the short flight of stairs.

"Wow," Sketch chuckled as he flopped down onto the dilapidated couch right next to Buffy. He never noticed how the girl flinched away from him just slightly or how Alec's eyes narrowed and a thin line appeared in his forehead. But Cindy managed to take it all in. "We meet again," Sketchy joked. "Really, we've got to stop or people will start to talk."

"Talk about what an idiot y'all are," Cindy scoffed quietly. She turned her attention to the girl, Buffy and smiled as she recognized her own former shirt. The girl was a little pale, especially with the blond hair and all, and the black overtones of the shirt just seemed to bring it out even more. She really could see why the girl had Alec acting his best. Maybe he was the type to go for the whole damsel in distress thing. "Hey, Buffy," she greeted, not offering her hand, recognizing that the girl needed a bubble of personal space, even if others didn't notice that. "It's nice to meet ya."

Buffy gave a small, barely recognizable smile as her eyes flickered over the woman. "Likewise," she murmured and Cindy had to lean forward slightly to catch the words. "Um, I told Max, uh..." Buffy picked at the hem of the shirt she wore and Cindy automatically understood.

"She passed on your words honey," Cindy smiled. "And you're welcome. Always happy to help a girl out." She wasn't specific and more so meant that she'd been helping Buffy by extension, through Max. "Although, seein' your colorin', I might have sent something else."

"Oh," Buffy looked startled. "If you need this back..."

"No worries shugah," Cindy waved her hand. "Jus' meant that if I'd known better what ya looked like, I'da sent over somethin' different. Hate to say it, but black's really not doin' much for ya."

"And it's been about all she's had," Alec broke in to add. He smiled warily. "You know what Max's wardrobe is like." There were nods and grins from the three that knew her well. "Anyway Cindy, Buffy's shopping today. Any hints where she could find some good deals?"

Cindy's face took on a thoughtful look as she mulled over that request.

Logan hurried as fast as his mechanically assisted legs could carry him. He'd dropped his cousin off, directing her to Jam Pony, hoping that she'd find a friendly face inside. Contrary to what Alec had thought, Logan hadn't simply been foisting her off on them to find a decent parking space. No, he'd needed to make a transaction and he really didn't think that it was a good idea to submit his shell-shocked cousin to the seedier side of Seattle. Not that he was all too enamored of it himself. But for a quick infusion of cash, he'd needed to go to where the money was. So the bar not far from where Jam Pony was located, not nearly as empty as Logan had thought it would be, given the time of day, had been his destination. Of late, he'd discovered that the owner of Willy's Place was able to deal with the types of goods that Logan had to sell, namely paintings and statues that had marked his personal collection. As Willy himself had put it, he had a rather eclectic clientèle, despite the shabbiness of the surroundings. Logan, not entirely comfortable in that bar as he was in others, took the words at face value. All that mattered to him was that he got good money, not retail or close to market value, but better than elsewhere and that the new owner would appreciate what he had to sell.

And now, with the money burning a hole in his pocket, he made his way through the small throng of people milling about the entrance of the messenger service building. He moved down the ramp at a fast clip, his eyes scanning for his cousin, or either of the other two people that would recognize her. He didn't see her, Max or Alec, nor did he hear any telltale clue about their location. Deciding to simply ask, rather than wander about until he found them, Logan approached the main desk. "Excuse me?" he called out softly to get Normal's attention. The man finished writing something on a clipboard and glanced up, his face slightly surprised.

"You again, huh?"

"Yeah," Logan grinned slightly. It had been quite a while since he'd last been here, but apparently Normal had a good memory. "Me again. I was wondering if you'd seen my cousin Buffy come in here. She's-!"

"The sweet little blond?" Normal finished for him and Logan was surprised to see a wide smile on the man's face where usually a grimace resided. "She's your cousin?"

"Yes," Logan nodded. "Is she here?"

Normal leaned out slightly and pointed to his right, Logan's left. "Up the stairs, employee lounge. Rock Star's keeping her company. She's a nice young lady," the other man commented. Logan had leaned back so that he didn't get bumped by Normal's physical gesturing.

"Yeah, she is," Logan agreed, wondering what she'd done to win Max's boss over. But perhaps her quiet shyness, so atypical from the teen he remembered to be was misconstrued as something else. That was probably it. "Well, thanks."

"Not a problem," Normal muttered as he returned to his clipboard and package dispersal. Logan turned and headed in the direction that Normal had indicated. As he turned the corner, he could see, at eye level Buffy, surrounded by Alec, Cindy and their other friend, Sketchy. Now that he could see them, their words began to filter over.

"No," Buffy groaned. "Me and beer don't mix well."

"Ah come on," Sketchy moaned as Logan began to climb the steps. "No one said you had ta drink. Just come out with us."

Buffy, wary of being pressed further, bowed her head and shrank back a little. Alec, having noticed when Logan finally made it into the building, took the opportunity to change the subject off of one of Sketch's favorite subjects and rescue the poor girl. "Maybe another time Sketch-man," he chuckled easily. "Right now, Buffy's gotta get busy spending her cousin's money. Now that he's finally here," he added lightly, though the rebuke was clearly identified.

"Sorry," Logan apologized with a tight smile. "Had to see a man about a Muellner." Alec frowned for a moment and then his face cleared as he realized what Logan was inferring. Okay, that made more sense to him than Logan just dumping his cousin in the street.

"Hope you got a good price for it," Alec nodded.

"Decent enough," Logan grinned. "Maybe not as good as what some people could... achieve," he baited, his own chastisement hidden in the easy seeming camaraderie between the two men. When Alec didn't rise to the bait, he turned to his cousin. "So, are you ready Buffy?"

The blond nodded and smiled quickly at Cindy. "Yes, Cindy told me where I should go."

"That's right shugah," Cindy smiled back at Buffy and then tilted her head to the side. "And if they still got that green sweater, go for it. It'll look good with them black jeans." Buffy nodded and gingerly stood up, careful not to bump anyone in what had become close quarters.

"All right then," Logan nodded. "I guess we'll see everyone later. Uh, say hi to Max for me. Us."

"Will do Logan," Alec nodded shortly, one arm raised in farewell. "Have fun." Buffy turned her head and gave him a strange, contemplative look before she turned away and followed her cousin back down the steps and out of the building. Alec smiled as he heard through the soft rumble of daily noise, her farewell to 'Ray' and his boss' enthusiastic invitation to come back at any time. Now that was the sort of thing that Buffy needed. People to talk to, who wanted her around and didn't remind her of all the tragedy she'd recently endured. He just hoped that Logan would see that too.

"So, do you think we've got enough to tide you over for a while?" Logan asked, many hours later as they entered his penthouse apartment.

"I think so," Buffy nodded quietly. They each carried a few bags. Most important on their list had been to find her some footwear that fit. And with Cindy's suggestion they'd been able to find a store that provided fun and functional all wrapped up into one with decent pricing. So Buffy now had a pair of runners, some boots and one pair of high heels. She'd also found a sweater somewhatly matching the description of the one that Cindy had waxed poetic over and had agreed totally with the woman's opinion on it and had bought it. Along with the other few things that she needed.

"Here," Logan smiled. His cousin hadn't suddenly becoming the bubbling personality of decades gone by, but she'd seemed to loosen up just the tiniest bit. Perhaps she'd been able to get into the flow of the familiar action of shopping and let everything else roll off of her, the crowds, the pollution, the noise. Whatever it was, Logan hoped that the trend continued. "I'll let you put these away. I'm going to go check my answering machine." Buffy nodded and began to gather up the bags.

Logan walked over to the table where his phone and answering machine sat, between the kitchen and the dining room. The light was blinking, indicating that someone had called. Dropping his keys onto the table, he pressed the play button and then started pulling his jacket off.

"H-hi," came a soft, hesitant voice. Logan was startled when the bags that Buffy had been gathering up, were suddenly dropped, obscuring a little of the message with it's sudden noise. "... McClay. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. But I'm in Seattle right now and I was w-wondering if it would be possible for me to c-come over?" The message continued, the woman giving the telephone and room numbers of the motel she was staying at. She apologized again for not calling sooner and ended the message with a very hopeful note.

Logan turned to regard his cousin. Buffy's face was ashen with surprise and Logan realized that she had recognized her old friend's voice instantly. "Buffy?" he asked gently. His cousin was staring at the answering machine as if it were a bomb waiting to explode. "Buffy?" he called again, slightly louder. Her attention snapped up to his face. "What do we do Buffy? Do you want me to call her back? It's up to you." He could see the indecision marring her face as her lips twisted. She swallowed heavily a few times and then, glancing down at her clasped hands, nodded.

"Make the call."


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: PG-13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Chapter Eighteen

_May 31st, 2021_

_3:30 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Bedouin Breakfast Motel_

Tara slowly hung up the phone, nibbling at her lower lip as she stared at the unoffensive piece of machinery. She hadn't meant to stutter as she'd left the message for the elusive Mr. Cale. But since it had shown up, she was able to properly attribute it to nerves and the stress of the situation. She wasn't going to beat herself up about it. It was something that just happened.

"So no one was home?" Angel surmised softly from where he was sitting, perched on the end of one bed. He and Cordelia had heard Tara leave the message, so it was a moot question.

"Or they were unable to get to the phone in time," Tara smiled gently. But she wasn't going to get her hopes up that they'd be receiving a return call immediately. They might not get one back at all, but for the fact that Mr. Cale had sought her out. She glanced over at the unusually somber third member of their group. Cordelia had curled herself up in the room's only chair and at first Tara thought she was chewing on her thumbnail. But on closer inspection, she realized that the other woman was simply rubbing the tip of her nail against the contour of her lower lip, lost in thought. Tara turned back to Angel. "I think though, that if and when Mr. Cale calls back, and if we can set up a meeting, I..." she trailed off, unsure as to how Angel would take what it was she wanted to say.

"You what?" Angel waited, knowing how slowly Tara worked her way through things. Her mind was like a steel trap, nothing got past her. And she was quick, but long experience dealing with people and supernatural occurrences had taught her to consider what she said before she said it.

"I think that I should meet with Buffy, alone," Tara offered, ducking her head slightly, hoping that Angel wouldn't take offense. "And the reason for that, is that I've been... considering the situation. And-!"

"You mean the one where she suddenly popped up out of the ground twenty odd years after her supposed death?" Cordelia finally piped up, her tone slightly caustic. Both Angel and Tara spared her sympathetic glances, though Angel's was also tinged with a slight cast of annoyance.

"Yes," Tara nodded. "Her res-resurrection must have been traumatic enough," she spoke cajolingly, directing her words at Angel, knowing that he was the one she'd have to convince. "And to have been where she was and then brought back here where nothing is familiar, with people she doesn't know..."

"All the more reason to surround her with people she does know," Angel argued. "And it's not just that," he grunted in frustration, pushing up from the bed to begin pacing around the limited space the room offered. "I... know what Buffy's been through. I mean, hell, literally. You don't..." Even now after all these years, he was still reluctant to vocalize the horrors he'd endured when he'd been sent to a hell dimension through the portal that his evil alter ego had created through his blood and the demon Acathla. "Unless it happens to you," he continued, his voice tiny and strained, "you'll just never understand."

Both women's eyes followed him sympathetically. But Cordy leaned forward. "We know that Angel. But you need to step back and realize that this is not about you and what you suffered." Angel turned sharply to stare incredulously at her.

"I never said it was!"

"I know," Cordy stressed, dropping her hand to wrap around her updrawn knees. "But remember how you were when you got back here? Feral? Out of control?"

"And Buffy was the one that brought me back," Angel pointed out harshly, resuming his pacing.

"But that was you," Cordy stressed. "That was how you reacted. Just because that was what happened to you, doesn't mean that's what's happening to Buffy right now."

"Cordy's right," Tara broke in before things could escalate between the pair. "The situation has some similarities. But until we have more details, we need to move very carefully. We need to let Buffy tell us what she needs. We need to create safety and comfort so she can heal. And we need to not bombard her with all of us at once. That will just..."

"Overwhelm her," Angel concluded sadly. He knew that the women were right. But knowing that Buffy was alive, that she'd been through hell. Hell, Angel had spent three months in hell and it had been as a hundred years. What had Buffy endured in twenty? He nodded. As much as he didn't like the waiting, he was going to have to. He needed to smarten up and put Buffy's needs ahead of himself.

"I know you don't like this Angel," Cordy spoke up again, her voice soft, but what she was about to say next was cut off as the telephone in the room began to ring. All three occupants stopped to stare at it before Tara remembered herself and picked up the receiver.

"H-hello?" she answered and then pursed her lips as another hint of her uncertainty shone through loud and clear.

"Yes," a quiet, friendly, masculine voice spoke and she recognized it as Mr. Cale's from the message she'd heard on his answering machine. "Is Tara Maclay there?"

"Speaking," Tara answered a little more clearly, straightening up as a strange sensation akin to excitement rushed through her. "Mr. Cale?"

"Call me Logan, please," the cultured voice replied. "I didn't expect you to be in Seattle," he continued swiftly and Tara smiled.

"I didn't expect to be either," Tara told him honestly. "B-but when it comes to my friends, I'd go to the ends of the earth. How is she?" That questioned seem to throw the other man off guard. "I came into Lamia Portus just as you were leaving," she explained quickly. "I just couldn't catch up to you in time."

"Ah," Logan sighed. "She's doing about as well as can be expected," he hedged. "Given the... circumstances." He paused for a moment. "So, if you saw us, why didn't you call me back when we were in Los Angeles?"

"Because I doubted what I had seen," Tara continued in the vein of truth. "I w-wanted to... research the possibilities, before I acted."

"All right," Logan accepted that. He himself had a hard enough time dealing with the actual events that had brought his cousin back to him. "That's fair enough. But you're here now. What is it that you wanted to do?"

"I h-had h-hoped to see Buffy," Tara sighed. "If she's up to it, that is."

"All right," Logan sounded like he was smiling. "Just a moment." Tara heard the noise of the phone being muffled and an indistinct conversation going on behind that muffling. And then the crackle was gone and Logan's voice sounded in her ear again. "Buffy wants to see you. Would this evening work for you? Seven thirty?"

"Seven thirty would be wonderful," Tara spoke excitedly in her relief. "Where would you like to meet?"

"How about here?" Logan suggested immediately and Tara knew that this man was probably trying to keep control of a potentially volatile situation by keeping what was known as home court advantage. But she had no problem with that at all. She had meant what she said, her concern, their concern had to be Buffy, above all else.

"That would be fine," she conceded immediately, reaching for a pen and a scrap of paper from the night table that held Mr. Cale's telephone numbers. "Your address is?" He rattled it off and gave her some general instructions to get there. Tara thanked him and they hung up. She turned to Angel and Cordy, both waiting apprehensively. "We're meeting tonight," she relayed. "And he said that Buffy seems to be doing okay. About as well as can be expected."

Angel and Cordy exchanged concerned glances and Cordy spoke up first. "That might not mean much," she worried. "I mean, I'm sure this guy, what, her cousin?" Tara nodded. "He probably had no idea that Buffy was the Slayer. About what really goes on in this world, so he has no..."

"But I mean," Angel argued, "he would have said if there was really something out of the ordinary, wouldn't he? I mean, if Buffy were... acting like I did." They pondered the situation, all of them quiet and getting lost in their own thoughts. Seven thirty that evening couldn't come soon enough.

"Hey man," Biggs greeted Alec as he strolled into Jam Pony later that afternoon. He'd just completed a run, not too awful far, but that was judging by transgenic standards. Alec, standing at his locker, readjusting something on his messenger bag, lifted his head at Bigg's voice and jerked his chin a little higher in greeting. "We on for Crash tonight?"

"Should be," Alec grinned back. He was looking forward to being able to sit down and relax with his friends. "Or, if you want, we could head over to the Cherry Bomb."

"Uh, not familiar with that one," Biggs chuckled, though he was certain he could easily figure it out.

"No?" Alec's eyes widened minutely and then he shook his head. "Ah man, have I ever been remiss in my duties as loyal friend and tour guide," he lamented teasingly. "You have not been properly inducted into Seattle life until you experience the TNT."

"The what?" Biggs' scoffed, knowing that Alec wasn't referring to the chemicals that made up the most widely known bomb.

"Tina, Nina and Treenie," Alec grinned wolfishly, catching the tip of his tongue between his teeth as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Biggs' couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"Sounds like fun," he agreed. "Tonight?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded as he finished adjusting a strap. "I'll-!" whatever he had been about to say was cut off as his phone rang. "Oh, hang on," he grinned at his friend while he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve his cell phone. He deflated just a little when he saw Logan's number flash across the screen. With a typical presentiment, he knew that whatever plans he'd just made were going to somehow fly out the window. Dropping the bag, he flipped open the phone and answered, even though he had debated doing the opposite in the nanosecond before. "Yeah Logan? What's up?"

"Alec," Logan sounded suspiciously agitated. "Have you seen Max?"

Alec rolled his eyes. First Normal, now Logan. "No I haven't. Not once today, but I've been pretty busy." He shook his head in a long-suffering way in the direction of his friend and Biggs nodded in understanding. He and Max had had more than a few chances to talk, what with her recent development of those runes that Biggs had peripherally helped out on. And from a few of Alec's short burst rants, he felt he knew the entire spectrum of that sputtering relationship. He nudged his friends elbow and Alec glanced at him.

_'What?'_ Biggs mouthed at him.

_Max,'_ Alec silently mouthed back. Biggs shook his head and tugged on his elbow. "Hang on a sec Logan."

Free to talk normally, Biggs was still fairly quiet. "I just saw her man," he informed his friend. "The batteries in her pager died. She was heading off to that little shop off E street to get some new ones. And I promised her I'd tell Normal. Be right back." That said, he headed of to do as promised, since their boss hadn't been at the desk when Biggs had first arrived back. It also gave Alec a moment to deal with whatever drama Logan had going on. Alec nodded and pulled the phone back up to his mouth.

"Hey, Logan," Alec grunted. "Biggs told me that her batteries died. I'm sure she'll hit you back once she replaces them."

"It's not just that Alec," Logan sighed. He figured that after he'd paged her three times, that dead batteries were probably the case, or that she hadn't been able to find a phone. "Look, that woman from LA called back." He heard the other male suck in a small breath.

"And?"

"It wasn't just some woman," Logan informed him quietly. "It was Buffy's friend Tara... Maclay"

"Oh man," Alec groaned, recognizing the name as one of the ones that the trio had seen in that freaky flashback right before he and Max had pulled Buffy from her grave. "Is Buffy aware..."

"She heard the message, yes," Logan confirmed softly. "And she wants to see Tara. Or at least she did. I'm not sure what to think now."

"What d'you mean?" Alec demanded. He could only imagine how weird this was for the poor girl. Especially seeing what a big gap there would be between the two women. Two decades of life for one and death for the other.

"After she told me to call Tara back," Logan told him, "she went into her room and she hasn't come out since."

"And that's different how?" Alec mumbled. The girl was still fundamentally uncommunicative and he could easily see how this would contribute to that state. Why didn't Logan see that?

"It's not," Logan sighed in agreement. "But the thing is, Tara knows about Buffy. She saw us when we were leaving. And when she told me that, I asked why she didn't get a hold of me immediately, she said that she had to check things out."

"You mean," Alec paused a moment, unsure how to frame his question.

"I mean," Logan continued quickly, "that I think we're all going to have a lot of questions for each other. Like what they thought they were doing twenty years ago. What the hell Willow was trying to pull off. How Buffy was resurrected now. Why was Max involved." Alec found himself nodding along. "And some of those are things I can't answer," Logan informed him flatly. "So I was wondering if you and Max could come over. Not only for back-up about what happened, but also maybe... moral support for Buffy?"

Alec's eyes drifted shut as he contemplated this. It was probably better for everyone involved to get this out in the open and dealt with. Most certainly better for Buffy. "Max I get," he spoke slowly. "But why me? Aside from helping pull her out, I didn't really do anything."

"Yeah," Logan sounded pained. "But for some reason Alec, Buffy... responds to you. I..." the other man paused, seeming frustrated to Alec. "I don't know why, but you seem to get through to her. And I really don't know what's going to happen tonight and I think... we might need you there Alec."

Alec suddenly understood where this was coming from. It was hard for Logan to admit that he couldn't be everything his family, his beloved cousin needed. And barring that, he was trying to make sure that he had safeties in place should she need them. Alec could get behind that, could fall in with that line of thinking. After all, wouldn't he do the same for his friends? "Got you man. I'll tell Max and we'll be there. What time?" He heard Logan blow out a sigh of relief.

"Would seven work?" he asked quickly. "Tara is supposed to be here at seven thirty."

"Seven's fine," Alec assured him.

"It's almost time," Max announced, glancing at the mantle clock that Logan had set up on the credenza in the living room. She was perched at the end of the sofa, sitting on the arm rest instead of properly on the couch. Alec was leaning against the wall, seemingly bored, though like Max, he was cataloging every nuance that pervaded the stress-filled room. Logan was vacillating about whether or not he should offer beyond the liquid refreshment he'd prepared. Alec knew that if he wandered into the kitchen and peeked in the refrigerator, there'd probably be at least a cheese and cracker plate waiting to be whisked out.

"Has Buffy come out yet?" Logan called from the kitchen. Alec, his perch closest to the hallway down which Buffy's room was, glanced that way again, but the door remained stubbornly shut.

"Nope," he called back. "Want me to get her?" He heard something akin to a grunt and took it to mean the affirmative. Pushing away from the wall, he ambled down the hallway until he came to stop at her door. He knocked lightly and was taken off guard as it was immediately followed by the doorbell in the main room. He heard Logan moving swiftly to answer the summons and strained his ears to hear Buffy in her room. He tapped again. "Buffy, I think your friend is here," he informed her, his voice just loud enough to be heard. The latch clicked and inched open, but Alec saw no sign of Buffy. Wondering about how nervous and agitated she must be, Alec took that as an invitation and slid into the room, pushing the door shut behind him. "Hey," he greeted again. Buffy had come out of her room, long enough to see who had come when he and Max had arrived earlier, but had disappeared just as quickly as soon as Max and Alec had greeted her.

"Sh-she's here?" Buffy asked, her eyes wide and luminous with some emotion that Alec couldn't quite properly put name to. He turned his ear to the conversation out in the living room, and he could hear vaguely, with his finely tuned transgenic senses, where introductions were being made. But he couldn't come out and tell her that.

"Well, someone's here," he smiled gently. "And since it's time, I would assume that it's her. Are you ready to go out and see her?" He watched as she stood slowly.

He could see that she was trembling, though whether from nerves or excitement, he wasn't sure. He waited, but she made no other movement but to smooth her clothes down. "You look good tonight, you know," he complimented, saying the first thing that popped into his mind, hoping to at least distract her a little bit. He grinned when she glanced down at herself. "That green sweater really brings out your eyes." And that was the truth. He figured that must have been the sweater that Original Cindy had been nattering on about. Paired with the black jeans that Buffy was wearing, she really did look much better than she had in the last few weeks.

"It does?" she questioned softly. Alec smiled gently and nodded, holding out one hand to her. Hesitantly, she stepped towards him, sliding her own, much tinier hand into his. Her grip was tight, though he could still feel mild tremors racing through her body through the extension. He tried to keep a reassuring smile on his lips, but a infinitesimal disquiet shot through his mind and settled in his chest. When was the last time a girl had looked up at him like that? With wide, nervous eyes, full of question and hope. Knowing the painful answer, Alec immediately shut down that line of thought. Buffy wasn't Rachel and he would do well to remember that. This night was about helping Buffy through her walk down memory lane. Not his.

"Okay," he forced himself to speak lightly. "Ready to face the lion's den?"

"No," she shook her head, but he caught the hint of a smile on her lips. "But let's go anyway."

Alec opened the door and as he stepped out, he felt her hand grip his tightly again, as if she were afraid that he was going to let go or get away from her. He squeezed back a little, to reassure her that he wouldn't let go until she was ready. She followed after him, having no other choice. Their footsteps echoed slightly on the wooden floorboards of Logan's penthouse suite. Alec realized that conversation in the living room had halted once they'd made their presence coming out of Buffy's room, known. As they moved into the living room, he realized from his arm being slightly twisted behind his back, that Buffy was hiding behind him. As quickly as he'd been taught in his former life, he cataloged everything he could about the stranger in their midst before stepping aside to reveal the girl of the hour.

The woman, Tara Maclay, was a lovely looking woman, in her early forties. She was blond and her figure not as slim as it might have once been. But her face was kind and Alec had the impression that she was the earthy motherly type. Tara seemed to understand Buffy's hesitancy and maybe even share in it herself. There was quiet all around the room as they waited for one or the other woman to make the first move. And it was finally Tara herself who took it. She moved forward several small steps and then held out her arms to Buffy.

Alec felt the tremors increase in the smaller blond woman before she too stepped forward and into Tara's embrace. But she still didn't let go of Alec. The two women stood like that for several minutes. Buffy, the shorter of them, by several inches turned her face to press against Tara's shoulder, her free arm wrapping around Tara's waist. Tara had wrapped both arms around Buffy's shoulder's though one hand came up to wipe at the tears that were suddenly coursing down her face.

"Oh Buffy," she whispered, one hand coming up to stroke at her friend's hair. "I'm sorry. I'm so s-sorry." Those words seemed to break the silence that Buffy displayed.

"Sorry?" she asked softly as she pulled back. "For-!" But then she realized what her old friend meant. "You... know?"

Tara nodded slowly, biting at her lower lip before she said, "I sensed it the moment I walked into the Hyperion. Y-you and Faith. I always knew, could s-sense it. A-and again when we w-went to Sunnydale."

"You went to Sunnydale?" Buffy questioned, and Alec could feel the tremors increase, echoing in her voice now. He exchanged worried glances with Logan and Max. Buffy had never spoken of what had occurred there when they had gotten her out of the grave and they, unsure how to broach the subject, had waited for... something, they just didn't know what.

Tara nodded. "We m-met a man there. Pietr Voskovic. I th-think, what he t-told us, just confirmed it. And n-now, seeing you h-here."

The shaking in Buffy's limbs stopped dead cold and Alec puzzled over what some stranger had to say that would affect Buffy so suddenly and deeply. He also wondered, as he was sure Max and Logan were doing, what the hell this little bit of theirs, saying but not saying, really was about. "Who was he? What did he say?" Buffy asked, her voice void of emotion, even more so than before and Alec felt as if the entire room had been instantly coated with ice.

Tara was chewing on her lip again and glanced up quickly at Alec, her eyes wide with apprehension. Like she didn't want to talk about this in front of strangers. But they really weren't giving her much of a choice. "H-he, worked at the same museum that G-giles used to work at," she finally told her old friend. "B-but then, he had to go back to Russia, to take over c-custody of a g-girl."

"And?" Buffy prompted in what seemed an awed tone to Alec.

"Sh-she died," Tara blurted out, her face fixed on Buffy's features. "On the twenty second this month." There were more glances exchanged over Buffy and Tara's heads. That fateful day. It had been midnight that night, going into the twenty-third, when Buffy had come back to them. How was all this relevant? "I-it was," Tara continued slowly, holding Buffy's eyes steadily. "Tania's eighteenth birthday."

There was a second between that announcement and a sudden crushing pain in Alec's hand. He winced at the sudden fury Buffy's tension played out, though there was little emotion showing in the rest of her, until she shook her head slightly. "No," she cried out, shaking her head again. "I can't go through this again."

And still, these code words had little meaning or sense to those not used to it.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Timeline/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

A/N: Well, I'm back. There are too many reasons to go over about why I was gone. Way too many to get into. I'm just happy to be working on the fictions again. Hope you enjoy this long, lo-o-ong overdue update.

Chapter Nineteen

_May 31st, 2021_

_7:36 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers, penthouse suite_

_"No," Buffy cried out, shaking her head again. "I can't go through this again."_

The assembled group stood in the middle of Logan's living room, all carefully not meeting each other's eyes after Buffy's abbreviated outburst. The girl in question had retreated again from them, physically for the most part as she had finally let go of her crushing grip on Alec's hand and had moved away from her former friend, Tara Maclay.

Alec, wincing quietly and flexing his fingers to try and encourage blood to return to his hand, was watching Buffy out of the corner of his eye, as he was sure the others were doing too. Tara Maclay was the only one staring intently at the short blond girl, head on. Since her words weren't widely understood, what exactly couldn't she go through again? It wasn't so much that there were things that they were sure she would like to avoid, maybe it was just that there were too many things she could be referring to. And not things that a normal human would be thinking of.

After all, for some reason that Alec and he was sure Max and Logan could not fathom, on their recent trip to Sunnydale, former home of Logan's cousin Buffy, the girl had been mysteriously resurrected out of her twenty year old grave. There was not much of an explanation for that, aside from a haunting vision of her friends trying some sort of magic spell, including blood and gore and strange things in the night that none of the Seattle residents were familiar with. That the ritual had somehow transmuted through to present day, taking blood through the runes that had made themselves known on Max's skin, was another puzzling question to which they had no answer.

All of these thoughts were surely running through their minds. Alec could only imagine what was going through Tara and more importantly, Buffy's minds. The shorter blond was huddling in on herself, reminiscent of the first few days after she had woken from death. And no matter how much he said that to himself, Alec had the unnerving sensation that he would not get used to the idea, let alone words.

"Maybe we sh-should talk privately," Tara finally ventured words into the silence. Her question was directed towards Buffy, but it was a gentle questioning, Alec could see, designed in part to keep them at ease with her presence. Alec knew that he wasn't very on board with the idea, because of what he had admitted to himself earlier that day. He wanted Buffy to be okay and was ready to help however he could, for whatever reasons he wasn't dwelling on. Taking her away from that was another time bomb waiting to happen. But at the same time, he also realized that this had to be Buffy's choice. He shook his head at Logan, just as it looked like the man was ready to protest.

"Just," Buffy said softly then, her head coming up, "I just have to know first." She slowly wet her lips and Alec could see that she couldn't quite meet Tara's eyes, but she was trying. "Dawn? Do you-?"

It was still painful for her to contemplate that her sister was dead and Alec was sure that would continue for a long time. After all, everyone else involved had a decade or more to get used to the idea that Dawn had been lost in a train accident, but without further proof of a decaying body in a grave or hell, anything else, Buffy just wasn't accepting it. Perhaps, Alec mused, if one of her trusted friends told her so, then Buffy would start to believe it.

"I'm s-so sorry Buffy," Tara sighed after a long moment and then shook her head. "She died, in a train crash, because of th-the pulse," she explained and then glanced around at the others. "You do know-?"

"We explained it to her," Max offered quietly, speaking for the first time in a while. Tara nodded and turned her face to her friend once more. She took one half step to the girl, holding her hands up at a kind of half mast, meant to indicate that she was no threat.

"Buffy, Dawn t-told me what you s-said to her that night," she offered quietly. Buffy's head snapped up at that. Everyone could see her eyes glaze over as she was obviously remembering something.

"_The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave, live for me."_

Buffy could clearly remember the words. They were emblazoned in her mind. Tara must have recognized that the words were there. She smiled encouragingly at her petite friend. "She did what you asked. She tried s-so very hard to be brave. And sh-she lived her life to the fullest. It was just a h-horrible accident that took her away from us."

There was a charged, pregnant moment as Buffy seemed to digest that. And then there was a sad smile on her face, though Alec could see just how forced it was. "I take it you aren't referring to my father coming to take her away."

"No," Tara smiled, the feature matching Buffy's in that instant. She moved a little closer now and Alec was relieved to see that Buffy wasn't instinctively tensing up, though she still seemed wary. "Though that was bad enough. It hit us all hard. Especially Willow." Tara felt a pang in her chest, as she often did when thinking of her redheaded love and partner. The spiral that Willow had been in was still painful to think of. "What sh-she did," Tara began and then stopped herself, for many reasons. Well, the first, most important one, she was sure she could not explain to these people. She had no idea how much they knew of Buffy's life, probably very little and until she was sure, she would not bring it up. Secondly and somehow more intensely important, was that it was still so painful and Tara just could not put her emotions on display like that in front of strangers.

"You're right," Buffy breathed out on a sigh. "We should talk. In private."

Alec was amazed at those simple words, how suddenly Buffy changed. There was no movement to indicate any such change, but it was there all the same. Instead of meekly being led around as she had been until now, there was a tangible feel as she somehow was taking control. There was still a hollowness about her, but something that this Tara woman had touched on had resonated with Buffy. He took it as a good sign for the traumatized girl. Yes, whatever information might pass between them could be damaging, but it needed to happen, or she would never get over it. To that end, he spoke up before Logan or Max could protest.

"Why don't you use Buffy's room?" he suggested, gesturing down the hallway that he and Buffy had emerged earlier from. "We can wait out here." He glanced at Logan, noting the familiar look of irritation that the man had when others interfered in what he considered his domain. "I'm sure we'll have some questions for you too."

"Of course," Tara agreed promptly and without rancor. She waited for Buffy and the shorter woman turned on her heel and led her friend away from them. Their footsteps echoed on the floor and then were muffled by the sharp click of Buffy's bedroom door shutting. It hadn't even faded before Logan was confronting the male transgenic.

"Do you really think that was the best idea Alec?" Logan did manage to keep his voice lowered, but there was no mistaking the ire in it. Alec held his hands up, a peaceful gesture that wasn't quite.

"Calm down," he hissed instantly. "It was obvious Logan, that they didn't want to talk in front of us. Despite how you keep going on about being Buffy's cousin, she still does not know you! And she has no reason to trust us further than she can throw us. And in case you've forgotten, Max and I can hear just fine, what's going on in that room, if you'd shut up."

Logan's eyes widened when Alec's rant started and though it looked as if he would retort, he glanced at Max at Alec's last assertion and Max nodded tiredly. His mouth shut, jaw working furiously, Logan finally moved back and chose a seat on the sofa, crossing his legs, his foot jiggling just slightly. Alec chose a seat close to the hallway, waiting for the expected blowout, however it was going to come.

Tara followed Buffy through the well appointed penthouse suite that spoke of money, though it was probably on the dwindling end, judging by areas of the walls, were the colors did not match up, that something had once resided there. Buffy led her into the bedroom and once Tara was through, shut the door. She took a seat on the bed, leaving the chair for Tara. Tara seated herself, wondering what question would be prevalent on the girl's mind. But she was surprised and puzzled when Buffy put her finger up to her lips and then pointed at the door and then her ear.

It took Tara a moment to understand what was bothering Buffy and then she realized that the other blond was worried about people eavesdropping. And given the subject matter they had to cover, it was a well founded fear. She knew that Buffy had never been very good at the undercover aspect of her Slayer status, but apparently twenty years in hell had taught her caution. Tara shuddered slightly, only barely able to comprehend what that could have been like. Thinking quickly of any applicable spells she could cast without benefit of herbs, candles or another person, she finally came up with something. She rooted around in her pockets for a piece of paper and pen and a book of matches from the motel that they were staying in. She hadn't even realized that she had put them in her pocket. But then, a good witch was usually prepared for anything.

Tara wrote out the spell, checking her wording and spelling against her memory. Sure that she had it correct, she looked around for somewhere to burn the paper that would not draw notice of burn marks. Buffy seemed to understand what Tara wanted and brought her a glass, still half full of water. Tara smiled in gratitude and then quickly lit the paper on fire. She dropped the match into the water as soon as the paper was burning. They both watched with interest as the paper glowed a burnished orange before the ash crumpled and fell into the waiting glass.

"What will that do?" Buffy asked quietly.

Tara returned the cup to the nightstand. She would let Buffy dispose of the water later. She spoke in a normal tone of voice. "Anyone outside of the room will just hear garbled words, no matter how close they get," she explained softly. It was the easiest thing she could think of that involved only minor tampering with other people in the vicinity.

"What happens if they come in?" Buffy asked then.

"Then we stop talking," Tara answered simply as she retook her seat. It wasn't until she noted Buffy's wide eyes that she realized how that was taken by her literal minded friend. "Oh n-no, not like that," she giggled, despite the severity of the night. She was glad as Buffy sagged with relief. "N-no, I meant that we should stop talking until they leave and then we can resume our conversation."

"Oh, okay," Buffy deflated a little with her relief.

Tara composed herself, folding her hands in her lap and gave Buffy a moment to orient herself, perhaps to order thoughts that were sure to be chaotic. It also gave her a moment to do the same for herself. "I'm sure that you have a lot of questions," she began. "And I can probably answer most of them, but if you'd pr-prefer to ask what's important, well, it might n-not make s-sense."

"Unless I have the whole story?" Buffy decided and Tara nodded.

"W-was there a pressing question about what h-happened or what's bothering you?" Tara inquired gently.

"You wouldn't believe me," Buffy sighed, slouching again, almost like she was defeated, but Tara knew better. Buffy eyed Tara and the older woman kept herself still for it. She just knew that Buffy was measuring her up. She wondered if she should say something or just let the girl make her own assessment. In the end, she stayed quiet. "You said earlier that you could sense me, sense Faith. What did you mean?"

"I guess, maybe your power, your aura," Tara explained at once. It was a talent that she had had for so long now that she never had to give it a second thought. "It's something that was very like sensing when another witch or magic user was near me. Someone that was actually a practitioner, not just a casual dabbler. But there was something more with you and Faith, like the magic was different in you somehow." Buffy was nodding, so Tara assumed that she had explained it well enough.

"So then," Buffy went on slowly and Tara waited patiently, "it wouldn't sound, you know, crazy or something, if I said that, well, I can," she paused, gaging her friends reaction and Tara made sure that her face was calm, accepting, though she was not really worried, expectant was more like it. Finally Buffy took in a deep breath and then got out in a rush. "I can still sense Dawn."

To her credit, Tara did not blurt out that yes, Buffy was crazy, that she was silly, that the thought was insane. Nor did she entertain notions of how to disprove the idea. She simply accepted and asked, "sense her how? Physically, mentally, emotionally?" Her unhesitating acceptance of this seemed to buoy the younger woman.

"Physically, I guess," Buffy admitted. "Mentally no. Emotionally, I don't even know where I am, let alone Dawnie."

Tara nodded at that, several possibilities playing through her mind. But she still needed more information before she could even entertain the notion that little Dawnie, one of her very dear friends, could be alive after all these years. Of course it was possible, the proof of the universe's possibilities was sitting before her once more. "Can I ask, does this feel the same as w-well, before?"

Buffy understood to what Tara was referring as soon as she said it. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "It's hard to... remember some things. Time was.. different," she admitted, though she couldn't get all the words out. She still could barely admit it to herself.

Tara let her take the time she needed to orient herself. Buffy knew that this was one of the things she remembered liking about the other woman. In the dim recesses of her memory, she had the vague sense that when she had finally started getting to know Tara, she had thought that the blond witch had really grounded Willow. Not that Willow was, well, there was the babble and the quick mind and the multi-tasking. She remembered once that she had thought that Tara was quite like a kite string, tethering Willow so that the redhead could fly safe.

She liked that idea. She was also so very, very jealous. For while Tara let Willow fly, gently guiding and bringing her friend home, whomever had the strings on Buffy jerked and yanked and reeled her in before it was time. It was a distinctly uncomfortable sensation. One that passed over her again. The moment that she had been able to think at least a little clearly, back there in Sunnydale, she had felt those strings, those chains settling over her again. Realizing that her mind was wandering off the topic, as it easily did these days, Buffy focused on her sister.

And realized that this feeling was familiar for more reasons than one. When she had been... where she was, she knew that Dawnie was safe. Not in the, right by my side, with Buffy fighting her battles to keep her innocence intact, but in a, she would be okay with whatever was being dealt in her hand of life, because there were other people that cared about her. That would take care of her feelings and her being, the way Joyce and Buffy had.

But now, there was that all consuming feeling of wonder and worry and a vague hint of annoyance. She could almost feel it like a sweeping wind coming from the east. She turned her face, to glance out the window of her bedroom, realizing that she almost expected Dawn to be out there, her countenance young and beseeching. Calling to her sister, to come, save her, rescue her, don't let these bad things happen to her. She was just a girl... She didn't understand! How could they...

Yes, the feelings were familiar. And long standing.

Because she had felt this way always about Dawn, even before they had learned the truth about Glory. Before they even knew that there was a threat to Dawn, because the girl had been created to house the powers of the Key.

Buffy wet her lips again and turned her head back to face Tara. She wondered, only momentarily, what Dawn would look like now. Tara had been very recognizable. But Dawn, made from Buffy's blood, had her own look, but would she have looked more like Joyce? More like Hank? Would she look as Buffy should have if Buffy had made it even a few more years beyond what she had?

"Ever since Dawn came into out lives," Buffy explained slowly, as Tara listened with patience, "I've always been, aware of her. She is and always has been a part of me. And it feels like... like part of me is missing. Like those, remember we talked in class about those soldiers that had lost limbs and stuff?"

"I remember," Tara nodded. "Phantom pain from their missing limbs."

"Exactly," Buffy returned the nod. "Phantom pain, but it's not physically painful."

"Is it more like that example of when a soldier woke up and was acting as if his arm was still there?" Tara asked, remembering discussing after class with Buffy and Tara the implication of the mind to refuse knowledge in favor of feeling and bodily sensations. The young man in question had acted like his limb was fully intact, reporting that when he had stretched after waking, he could feel the muscles in both arms, the stretch of his flesh, in both arms and hands, until he had noticed that his lower arm was missing and then the sensation had faded as knowledge reasserted itself.

"It's just like that," Buffy breathed out, grateful. "That was how I felt then, when Dawn was near and when she wasn't. Like there was part of me floating off by itself. And that's how I feel now."

Tara chewed at her lower lip for a moment as she thought her way through this. She regarded her friend seriously. There was no way that she would discount what Buffy was saying. She understood the power of thought and feeling and it's place in the world. And again, she couldn't discount things just because it was not in her scope of experience.

"Buffy," she finally spoke and she noted how Buffy seemed to be holding her breath. "I believe that there is a reason for everything that happens. I've always believed that anything is possible, even if we don't always know how to accomplish it. Even if there are reasons why it should or should not be done. And, there are several things that come to mind."

"Things like what?" Buffy queried eagerly.

"Well," Tara paused, realizing belatedly that she had once again mastered her stutter. It made her smile a little to think back on what she had learned, that when her passions were engaged and her mind was working on something so much more important than thinking of her shyness and her inability to easily put itself forward, it would become less noticeable. She had almost expecting that it would be much worse here with Buffy, reminiscing about the past, but it wasn't. There was a comfortable familiarness about Buffy, a sense that when she was there, things were going to be okay, just because Buffy would make sure of it. She hadn't realized until now, just how much of the Scoobies mentality had rubbed off on her and how she still carried it to this day.

"There is the possibility that because Dawn was physically made from you, that when you were resurrected, she was as well," Tara decided to get what was the most horrifying possibility out of the way. And she could see from Buffy's gaping countenance that her friend had realized the severity of that one as well. "Of course, since Dawn's body was never recovered, she would have had to made her way out of the rubble from the accident, which I know has been cleared away, for the most part. And if she did wake up somewhere, she knew where we were and would have a much better chance of contacting us, than you would have, Buffy," Tara reassured her friend. Buffy nodded, letting out a shaky breath. "The other two possibilities seem more likely to me than that one. The others being that Dawn did pass on in that accident, or she did survive it and for reasons we don't know or understand, never came back to us."

"But why?" Buffy burst out immediately. "Why would she not?"

"I can imagine several scenarios," Tara interjected quickly. "For one, Spike might have convinced her that it was safer for her to stay in hiding."

"Spike?" Buffy frowned, considering the bleached Vampire once again. She had thought of him before, when her cousin and his friends had been asking for people they could look for for her. But she knew there would be no way to track him. She could tell instantly from the soft look on Tara's face that whatever change Spike had insisted was occurring in him must have continued after her... her death.

"He kept his promise too," Tara nodded encouragingly. "He swore to look after Dawn and he did. A lot of things," she paused and frowned then and Buffy knew she was searching for the best way to explain to someone who hadn't been there, who did not know what had occurred. "Dawn suffered so much loss that year, of course, you know that. And she couldn't really, keep herself together at first," Tara explained, feeling the hurt of the other younger girl's pain in her chest again, as she had so many years ago. "She was reckless for a little while," she explained and Buffy smiled wryly.

How well Buffy could remember those feelings herself. Nobody handled death well. And if it hadn't been for Dawn needing her after Joyce's death, she knew that she would have been much worse off.

"And Spike watched out for her?" she concluded and Tara nodded.

"Unfortunately," Tara continued then, "he was not home. He had, uh, moved into the basement of your house, so that someone was there all the time while Dawn was home that summer." Buffy accepted that easily. "Well, he was out to get some supplies for Willow and he got trapped by the sun. So he wasn't there when your father sh-showed up to take Dawn with him." Tara sighed, her eyes misting over a little as she lost her focus on the woman before her, going back in time a little, it seemed, in her mind. "When he got home that night, he was furious. With us, for letting it happen, with Willow, for asking for the supplies, with himself, for being stupid enough to have been trapped." She smiled again, sadly. "When he finally finished yelling and th-throwing things, then he left. He stormed out, determined to find her."

"Did he?" Buffy asked quietly. Tara nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course," she provided with the security of one who had lived through the events, as she obviously had. "It took some time, since none of us knew exactly what Hank had in mind for Dawn. He did allow her to call us and write letters, but he thought it better for her to not see us, not be reminded of her losses for a while. So he had to get back to Spain, for work I think, and they caught a flight as soon as they reached Los Angeles. Spike tracked them there and when he figured out where they were going, made his way to Spain as well. It took him longer than it did Dawn and Hank, but he eventually made it."

"So," Buffy frowned as more thoughts occurred to her, "why wasn't Spike with Dawn on the train then?"

Tara nodded, that was an obvious question. "Your father objected to their relationship." She saw Buffy's eyebrows rise, though there was no censure there. Buffy had had objections to their friendship herself once upon a time. "When Dawnie finally enrolled in college, she and Spike figured that as an adult, it would be easier to keep Spike close. But when Hank finally met Spike, apparently there was a huge blowout as your father didn't approve of him." She wasn't all that surprised by Buffy's snort of laughter. "As I understand, your father tried many different ways to keep them apart. Spike even went so far as to enroll in school to have a legitimate excuse to stay close to Dawn."

"Really?" Buffy scrunched up her nose. She had no idea the lengths the Vampire could go to. Well, maybe she did, but for her little sister? Apparently a promise could be sacred to a Vampire, as much as it could to a souled being. Of course, the reverse of that was also very much a possibility.

"Night classes, of course," Tara chuckled herself. "But then, when Dawnie finished school, that excuse was lost. And Hank, I don't know if he heard rumors or something, I don't know how the laws work in Europe, well, he got some sort of restraining order against Spike. He couldn't come within a hundred yards of her. So, when Hank and Dawn boarded that train, Spike was close, but apparently not close enough."

"Unless, like you said," Buffy reasoned out, "Spike did rescue her and then convinced her to stay in hiding of some sort." Tara nodded.

"I can't quite imagine that he would do that though," Tara mused. "He knew how hurt we were to lose our Summers women." She smiled as Buffy started at that. "He wouldn't have put us through that pain if it weren't real."

"Or there's another possibility," Buffy sighed, raising from the bed and moving to stand before the window, bathed in the moonlight, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "Maybe Dawn was hurt too badly in the wreck. Maybe Spike chose to... to..."

Tara's eyes widened as she watched Buffy's shoulders hunch over.

"Oh no!" she burst out as she realized what possibility was in her friend's mind. "No no! See, that wouldn't have happened."

"You don't know Tara," Buffy sighed, turning her bowed head just slightly. "Spike was, he was a very weird Vampire."

"I'm not arguing that," Tara giggled, sounding much more like her youthful self than the mature woman in the here and now. "But see, part of that recklessness? Well, Dawn and her friend Janice, lied to us about a sleepover and snuck out to go out with some boys. When Spike found out, he went ballistic. We searched for them and when we found them, Dawn was off with this boy, kissing him and Spike, well we thought he was crazy for a second, when he pulled out a stake, and well, he was right. He staked the Vampire and then he told Dawn that if she really wanted to play with her life like that, he'd turn her right that instant and then she could be a 'nasty, bloodthirsty nibblet' for all the rest of her days." She finished, having badly imitated Spike's accent. Buffy had stiffened at that revelation and Tara hurried on. "Dawn didn't want that. She just wanted something to make her feel. She felt so very numb. And the rush of danger, well it made her feel something. She was finally able to grieve after that night," Tara revealed and when she glanced at her friend again, she could see a lone tear on her friend's cheek. It matched her own. "Dawn made Spike promise that he would never turn her and that if another Vampire did, he would take her out. He didn't just promise, he vowed Buffy."

The shorter blond nodded and then let out a gusty, relieved sigh. But then she whirled around, horror in her eyes. "Wait! Dawn was kissing a Vampire?"


	21. Chapter Twenty

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so please ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

A/N: At long last we have an update. For those of you that have been waiting, these next chapters will finally get into what happened to the rest of the Scooby gang.

Chapter Twenty

_May 31st, 2021_

_7:48 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers, penthouse suite_

"What are they talking about in there?" Logan sighed, his question more rhetorical than anything at this point. The two women, his cousin Buffy and her long ago friend, Tara Maclay had only been secreted away in Buffy's room in Logan's penthouse apartment for minutes at Alec's suggestion. But Alec and then Max's assurance that they would be able to hear the conversation turned out to be some what of an error.

The first time that Logan had asked what they were discussing, both transgenics had waved the question away, a look of concentration adorning each of their faces, twisting them slightly in different ways. Logan was used to the features of Max's face, scrunching up slightly, making her look, well, adorable in Logan's opinion. Alec on the other hand had looked... constipated, was the only word that Logan could come up with. And then, when some apparent frustration had marred that, he looked ticked off on top of the other.

Logan had asked again and then Alec had shrugged and looked to Max. Her eyes were wide and she shrugged back.

"Don't know," Alec had finally grunted. "They're being pretty quiet." In an effort to better hear the supposedly private conversation, Alec had moved closer to the hallway leading to Buffy's room. He'd casually leaned against the wall and the group fell silent again, waiting while Alec attempted once more to eavesdrop.

But alas, there was still just the garbled, gentle murmur of a conversation that was not focusable. Alec had continued moving further and further, stealthily down the hall way. His frustration grew until Max had snorted, despite herself. Both males looked at her and she looked a little sheepish.

"You don't uh, well, I was thinking," she hesitated to explain, but then rushed on. "With what we saw in Sunnydale and that place that this Tara woman runs in LA, you don't suppose that she did something," and here she couldn't seem to say what she wanted and inserted a gesture of wiggling the fingers of her right hand in the air, "so that we couldn't hear them?"

"Magic, you mean?" Alec blurted out, relieved that someone had said it first. What was it that that old wise guy had said in the pre pulse movie? _We must strip away all the impossible until all that remains, however unlikely, is the possible. Just because it is unlikely does not make it wrong?_ Or at least something to that effect. And just because this magic gig, the real thing and not illusionist's distraction techniques, had only just recently popped up on their radars, did not make it an impossibility.

Max nodded and it was Logan's turn to scoff. Both transgenics turned their faces to him and gave him such a stare that he was shrinking beneath it and all too quickly he realized what their silence was telling him. Just because it was not something in his scope did not make it unreal. After all, they were here, a supposed impossibility. But they existed, and in some cases, thrived. How could they discount magic, especially given it's rich lore and history in spoken and written languages? Part of Logan's brain was telling him that he should research this, while the rest was scoffing at it all.

Pursing his lips, Alec seemed to recognize Logan's stubborn mindset and he pushed himself off the wall and moved purposefully to Buffy's closed bedroom door. He didn't make any pretense at quiet and once there, rapped sharply on the door. All conversation, still garbled to his ears and essentially indecipherable, halted and he took that as an invitation. He opened the door and two blond heads turned calmly towards him.

"Everything okay in here?" he asked perkily, betraying none of his frustration at his inability to hear them clearly. Both blonds smiled the same enigmatic smile after a quick glance at one another and it raised Alec's hackles slightly. They nodded towards him and he slowly moved his whole head in an approving manner. "Okay, need anything? Glass of water? Something to munch?"

As soon as he'd asked about the water, the differences in the room made themselves apparent to him and his eyes casually swept over the scene. But again, he didn't betray himself. He waited for their answer and as one, they both shook their heads in the negative. "Okay then, I'll let you get back to it." He pulled the door firmly shut and with a self-satisfied grin, returned to the living room. He clapped his hands together and, pleased with himself, announced to the others, "well, they were burning something and there's some ashes in a glass of water. So they're planning on burning down the building, wrote something they didn't want anyone to see or they did a spell!"

Logan rolled his eyes warily at the suddenly exuberant youth, while Max contemplated the ideas presented to them. She huffed out a breath and then smirking, announced, "coolio!"

"So..." Buffy began to ask of Tara, once Alec had popped his head in to check on them, but the question that had immediately rolled to the tip of her tongue was answered in and of itself when she spoke.

"It's okay," Tara encouraged. "We can keep talking. Wh-what else w-would you like to know?"

Buffy inhaled sharp and deeply. What didn't she want to know? What was she ready to hear? There were so many things running around her mind, that beyond the thought and worry about Dawn, the overwhelming incessant need of Dawn, nothing had really seemed to register until Tara had brought it forward. She tried to calm her mind, focus on long forgotten rituals that Giles had once taught her- Giles! She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight the despair, the loneliness, the things she had admitted to her Watcher no longer, in the empty days before Glory had rained down destruction on their heads.

"Maybe," she finally decided, and drew another shuddering breath. "Maybe you had better start at the beginning."

"You mean a-after Glory?" Tara tried to clarify, looking a little uncomfortable herself. Buffy nodded slowly, chewing on her lower lip.

"Or- or maybe just, I don't know, like a band-aid," she winced, thinking of what she was asking. "I mean, they kept telling me Dawn was dead, but I, I didn't believe. But Tara, you know..."

"I do honey," Tara reached one hand to her old friend and just held it close, hovering over Buffy's shoulder, sensing that the girl was on the brink of some precipice and neither knew just how much it would take to push her over. "It's been so many years and we've had time to g-grieve and mourn and eventually move on. Could you handle that right now?" Her astute question made Buffy flinch. She knew very well that she couldn't. Not in whatever frame of mind that she had been in since she had.. woken up.

Dealing with her mother's loss had been catastrophic and with Dawn somewhere in the wind, Buffy was almost completely alone here in this beat down post apocalyptic version of her former life. But for one or two...

"This guy Logan," she began and Tara nodded again, waiting for her to go on. "He's apparently my cousin, from my mom's side. I don't remember him, really. If I had to think about it? I think I vaguely remember him and Dawn teasing me and playing pranks on me. But it's hard to... to separate, before and after, you know?"

"Before and after what?" Tara asked curiously.

"Before I was called," Buffy spoke softly, her gaze hazing over slightly and Tara frowned as she searched her friends face. "The first time, I mean. Since well, if the last Slayer..." She didn't have to continue. Tara's revelation that Buffy had actually understood when it was offered, that she and some other's had run into a Watcher, in Sunnydale and his explanation that he had lost his Slayer in the Cruciamentum... Well, with what Buffy remembered, what she knew, destiny still had it's grip firmly around her soul. Squeezing every last drop that it could wring from her. And while once, she would have fought back, she would have rushed headlong into her independence, the very essence of the Slayer to forge on and forge ahead and to fight at all costs, well now, Buffy was still so very weary. An age old, soul weary bone tiredness that was more an illness of spirit than of body.

Realizing that Tara was waiting for more of an explanation and silently thanking whatever beings responsible for the patience and serenity that her friend possessed, Buffy tried one more to focus.

"When I did that spell and found out the truth about Dawn, I could clearly separate the memories of her that were false, to the ones that were real," Buffy explained. "To be able to track it back to the point when the monks did their spell." Tara nodded and dropped her hand back to her lap now that Buffy had regained the energy to go on, surprised that her friend had not even noticed the strength that Tara had willingly given her. "Before I was called, when I was just a regular teenager, I could remember that clearly before, but now, there are just bits and pieces. I think," she looked up into her friend's eyes and the pain she felt seemed as if it was translating itself to Tara, unspoken and unneeded in some part. But if Buffy knew she was to understand, to find a place in this world once more, then she needed what made her strong. She needed her family. Her real family and she knew that Tara would understand best. Buffy had once made a stand for Tara and she could only hope that this gentle woman would return the grace. "I don't feel very right," she finally admitted on a cascade of tears erupting from her eyes.

She was instantly gathered up in Tara's embrace, stronger than what Buffy remembered it once to be. But then, maybe Tara had had to take the time to find her strengths as well.

"I'm here," Tara spoke quietly into Buffy's hair, her words sure and strong, her stutter completely absent. "I can't make it all better, but I am here for you."

They sat together that way for a very long time, each drawing from the other. Tara's strength to Buffy and Buffy's love to Tara. Neither was unaware nor did they feel the need to put an end to it. It was freely offered and taken with dignity until at last Buffy pulled away and began to dry her tears on the sleeve of her shirt.

"Do you remember," she began with a tiny almost smile on her face that spoke more of things lost than happiness, "that you told me once that your Mom's death wasn't sudden, yet at the same time it was?"

"I remember," Tara nodded, tears shindig in her own eyes. Buffy inhaled once more and straightened completely.

"I think I'm ready."

"So, how does someone go about researching magic spells?" Alec asked of Logan as they huddled around his bank of computers. Logan rolled his eyes slightly heavenward, silently asking for the patience to further deal with this impatient male transgenic. To find and remember the reason he hadn't asked Alec to let them be, now that Buffy seemed to be slightly moving forward. But he knew that he couldn't do that. For one, Max and Alec seemed to be a package deal still these days, even with Max's admission that Logan had misinterpreted the scene he'd almost interrupted in the street outside Max's apartment building. Secondly, it wasn't exactly his place to tear Alec away from Buffy, when his cousin was so clearly dependent on him in some ways. He guessed he ought to be thankful that Alec could deal with her and sort of interpret her moods for them. Not that Alec had made much more headway. Perhaps because, if what Logan suspected was true, Alec was busy immersing himself in his hedonistic lifestyle once more.

Logan felt only momentarily guilty as he tapped away at his keyboard. Alec had helped and he knew he should encourage that friendship between the two. But at the same time, his own shortcomings in more arena than one seemed glaringly obvious when matched up to the transgenic and it chafed at Logan. Even though he knew he had his own merits and laurels, these days it just did not seem enough.

He let out a small grunt of dissatisfaction as his Internet query once again brought up way too many possibilities. His grunt was echoed with a long suffering sigh from Max.

"Did either one of you ever think that instead of a general query, maybe you could just, I don't know, look at that Tara's web site?" she asked with an edge of sarcasm that was easy to recognize.

"Well gee Maxie," Alec snarked back, twisting around from his position leaning over Logan's shoulder to glare at her, "that would be just perfect, wouldn't it, if we knew the site address."

"Or we can just search for the commune, since we know the address and the name," Logan offered, growing a little excited as he hadn't thought about that. But it did give him a direction in which to go.

"Or," Max drawled heavily and both men paused to glance back at her. "You could just type in the address as it was, printed on the receipt that Alec got from that necklace he bought Buffy." Both men gaped at her, for slightly different reasons. Logan, because he hadn't realized that bit of information and Alec because he knew Max was trying to get a dig in at him. "You remember, that really pretty one that she's wearing tonight?" Max grinned at her pseudo brother and he closed his mouth with a snap.

"And have you noticed the absence of other jewelry?" he rejoined politely, though Max knew it veiled his annoyance with her. It tended to be a pattern with them. "Something tells me that she doesn't really have a lot of it for some reason. What could that be? Oh yeah, she's been dead the last twenty years. I would guess that'd put a dent in any jewelry collecting hobby she might have had. Don't'cha think Logan?"

"Hmm?" Logan was trying to hide a smile. He hadn't even thought of it until Max had pointed it out, but Buffy had been wearing that little charm an awful lot. Nearly every day since Alec had bought it for her. "Oh, I was just wondering if either of you remembered the website?" he covered hastily, his fingers poised to type it in. Max obligingly rattled it off for him, since Alec gave a half-hearted shrug, not even bothering to look in his coat for the receipt. That could have been because he was wearing a different coat from what he had taken with him to California. Usually the simplest explanation was the correct one.

Logan tapped out the web address and after some time to load the website, the Lamia Portus Commune website appeared on the main screen. Max moved in closer so that she could read as well, though she was very careful not to get too close to Logan. Alec however, had no such compunction as he leaned over Logan to direct the mouse to a menu and clicked on a tab marked 'Mission Statement'.

Logan tcched in his throat, but made no other outcry. He wanted to slap at Alec's hand like one would a naughty child, but restrained himself, because Alec might be the type to smack back if he felt the admonition were unwarranted. And Logan had a strong feeling that Alec smacked a lot harder than he did.

The new page loaded and all three began to read. It essentially stated that the purpose of the commune was to provide a safe haven for Wiccan practitioners, new and old, to learn and work their craft. To harm none with their works. To educate those interested in learning and to try and break down the walls of ignorance and prejudice. It was actually pretty boilerplate stuff that Logan was familiar with. He quickly scrolled down to the bottom, having realized again that the other two had read through the offered material faster than he had. He pursed his lips as he read the quasi- blessing at the bottom of the page and then cocked his head as he read it aloud.

"_'We supplicate ourselves before the powers that be, who have imbued the earth we treasure with the blessings of magic, that all that we may do, please them and keep us safe in their sight.',_" he repeated. "Huh," he murmured. "Powers that be?"

"Maybe what they call gods or goddesses?" Alec muttered. He glanced at the others. "Why do I have the impression that Wiccans prayed to a goddess?"

"Probably because you're slightly familiar with the movement from several decades earlier," Max mused. "Apparently every female with a spice rack and a henna tattoo was a new age witch. They were all about moon cycles and dark stuff and growing things, I guess."

"Where'd you learn that?" Alec demanded and Max shrugged.

"Cindy and I talked about that before. And Kendra too. Now that I think about it, Kendra's mom was into Wicca when Kendra was younger. Just a fad though, from the way Kendra talked about it," she told them slowly.

Logan was nodding and Alec looked slightly lost, which Max seemed to realize.

"Kendra was my roommate before Cindy moved in," she explained easily, saying no more than that. If there was anything else to be said about Kendra, it would have to do with sex and she didn't want to deal with a slutty Alec wanting to meet a slutty ex-roommate. Not that she looked down on Kendra for being overt with her sexuality. It was who she was and all that, but they had other things to deal with and they didn't need Alec distracted.

"She was quite a character," Logan grinned up at Max. She returned the smile but then used one finger of her left hand to rub over her lips trying to encourage Logan to be quiet about the subject. He seemed to get the message when he turned back to the computer and brought the website back to the main page.

"Oh look," he gestured to the screen, his tone perky, "this looks like a good one to start with. 'History of Witchcraft. Fact versus Fiction'." Ignoring Alec's groan, he clicked on the tab provided and settled in for a bit of light reading while they waited for Buffy and her friend to finally emerge and hopefully answer a few questions for them.


	22. Chapter Twentyone

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so please ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

A/N: At long last we have an update. For those of you that have been waiting, these next chapters will finally get into what happened to the rest of the Scooby gang.

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-one

_May 31st, 2021_

_8:21 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers, penthouse suite_

"_I think I'm ready."_

Tara studied her recently resurrected friend carefully for a moment after she had made that pronouncement. Buffy still looked extremely fragile in her mind. But she knew also that keeping this from her friend would be more detrimental than helpful at this point in time. Buffy didn't have the time to acclimate to the changes that had been wrought in her personal life. Let alone any other way. But at the same time, hiding things from her was not the way to go. Tara had learned that over and over in her early life and she was determined to listen to the way the winds blew now. She just would try to be careful not to overload Buffy's mind, to be gentle, to try to harm none.

As one part of her mind worked on ordering the events after Buffy's death and the vanquishing of Glory, another part idly wondered what Buffy's cousin and his friends thought of all this. She knew that the second part of this evening would be spent answering their questions as best she was able. That, while being a task in and of itself, depending on how open they were to magic and esoteric ways, would be easier than the task she faced now. They had no connection, other than through Buffy to these past events and people.

Finally Tara drew in a deep breath, silently asking whatever deity or power might be listening to help her and Buffy through this time that would be a trial. She could sense that much. The future might very well be shaped by how Buffy dealt with these sudden, to her, losses.

"Right after your passing," Tara began quietly and Buffy stilled the fidgeting motions she had unconsciously been indulging in. "We held a private burial, so that we could try and give Dawnie some cl-closure. I don't kn-know if you saw the h-headstone?"

Buffy quickly shook her head in the negative and then her face screwed up, as if she was trying to remember. "I remember there being one. It... had my name. I..." she paused and swallowed heavily, as if everything about that night, the pain of it was still weighing on her. "It was hard to see. My vision was... very blurry."

Tara nodded acceptingly. But it was information that she filed away in her mind. Not that she was ever expecting to raise another friend from the dead. She knew better now. She had known better then. But she had believed in Willow, in the strength of her lover's beliefs and power. Perhaps that had been part of the problem. But she turned back to what Buffy had said. She knew at some point that she and Angel would probably need to research exactly what had occurred that night, her resurrection, and every last little detail would be helpful. That was also part of the conversation that she needed to have with Logan and the others.

"Well," she went on with a smile, "Dawn was the one that chose the epitaph," her voice was strong again. "I'll tell you the story about that later," she decided and Buffy nodded tiredly. "You know a little about afterwards, since we were all taking care of Dawn. But what I didn't tell you was that after your death, Willow figured out how to repair the robot that Warren made. Do you remember it?" By the face that her friend made, Tara was sure that she had.

"The one that Spike had him make?" Buffy frowned and then shivered slightly. "I remember."

"Well," Tara went on, "we decided that it was in our best interest to make it appear as if you were still alive and protecting the hellmouth." Buffy nodded slowly, the Slayer in her seeming to approve of the strategy. A part of her mind that was active, alert and aware even if Buffy the girl, had to shut herself down at any given moment.

"So we were using the... 'bot," Tara amended, even though then, in private they'd always called it the Buffybot. That didn't seem very respectful of their friend and Tara knew she needed to step carefully here. "Not just for patrolling, but for making it appear to Social Services and the school that Dawn's guardian was ably taking care of her." She smiled gently at Buffy's quirked, upraised eyebrows. "Since it was programmable, and didn't need sleep, or much downtime when it was recharging, everything was handled quickly, efficiently, but without emotion that wasn't already programmed to be displayed."

"So it was better at handling... things?" Buffy asked sadly, the wariness touching her eyes. And Tara shook her head.

"Meals, schedules, point and kill slayings, yes," Tara explained as precisely as possible. "But for giving growing up advice, cuddling with Dawn, all the human interactions that Dawn needed, weren't there. We tried to fill in as much as possible, but it wasn't the same," Tara sighed, remembering the nights, aching to go to Dawn as she huddled in her room, crying. Eventually the tears had slowed, right along the time the rebellious behavior had been amplified. One form of showing her grief had been traded for the other.

"So I bet Dawn's teachers loved that thing," Buffy grunted, slightly frustrated. Tara nodded. "Always having the right answer."

"Not always," Tara smiled again. "But it managed and we were usually around to smooth things over."

"So if you had the... 'bot," Buffy stumbled, her lips twisting distastefully, "what was the problem?"

"Because we had the 'bot," Tara tried to lead into this gently, because it was only going to get worse as the conversation went on. She knew that much about how her friend would react. Or at least, how she once would have. "Well, Giles decided that with all of us working together, the 'bot, Xander, Anya, Spike and I, with Willow using her magics to direct us so none were taken unaware, that he was done."

"Done? What does that mean?" Buffy demanded, her voice rising slightly. Tara placed a hand close by, but Buffy seemed to calm herself on her own and gestured for Tara to continue.

"He tried to work with the 'bot," Tara explained. "Help it appear more human and train it. Treat it as if it were the Slayer. But in his heart, he knew the difference. He was grieving for you and, well, now that I've had time to reflect on it, we weren't letting him. Right after, we were dependent on him to get us through, but as Willow grew more confident in her role, with her magic, we turned to him less and less. And when he finally admitted that it was useless to treat the 'bot as he would have you, he gave up. He lost whatever drive it was that he had, when you were alive. So he decided to go back to England. I don't think we realized then, what he was telling us."

"That he'd lost his way, his purpose?" Buffy realized astutely and Tara nodded, smiling slightly. Xander had been right. Buffy and Giles had always understood each other best, when no one else seemed to.

"He had," Tara agreed. "And though we thought that he was walking away from us, telling us that we were strong enough now to be the adults we were meant to be, we believed him. But he was asking us for a reason to stay. And we believed that we were powerful, even though on the surface we acted like we were weak. I think most of us," there were some exceptions there, "put so much faith in Willow's plan, that Giles' leaving didn't matter at the time."

"What plan?" Buffy asked in a deadly quiet voice. As much as she had always tried to support her friends, there had been warning bells in her mind that had always sounded. Even as she wore a cheerful face for them, privately, silently, she worried and fretted, looking at the dark side of the coin, trying to be prepared for the worst. It was all she could do, because on the hellmouth, it would always happen and when it did, well... It always came down to Buffy. She was the last line of defense and whether it be the forces of darkness or the forces of friends gone wrong, she would win the day.

"The plan to bring you back," Tara sighed. She waited for Buffy to say anything, but the girl was silent. She must have put some things together in her own mind and Tara hadn't contradicted whatever she had decided, so the blond witch continued. "Willow had found a ritual that would allow us to bring you back." She held up a hand in case Buffy decided to protest. "Since you died a mystical death, it wouldn't have been the same as raising something else. A normal death, what would come back would be dark and unnatural. That wouldn't have been the case with you."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm all with the cheery and lightness now," Buffy snorted, her arms and legs crossing as she seemed to shrink into herself, glancing away to stare at the floor for a moment. "Sorry," she finally murmured. "Go ahead."

"Willow had just found the last piece that we needed," Tara recalled. "The Urn of Osiris. We had planned the ritual and it was to take place the evening after Giles left. We decided not to say anything, in c-case, well," she took a deep breath and in a rush the words came out. "In case that something went wrong with the spell."

"On the hellmouth?" Buffy quipped sarcastically, though there was none of her remembered quippiness about her. Tara nodded. "Wait, who all decided this?"

"Willow, Anya, Xander and myself."

"So Dawn didn't...? Or Spike?"

Tara nodded again. "Again, for the same reasons. We didn't want to get their hopes up."

"That's good," Buffy murmured, thinking more on Dawn than she was on the Vampire.

"Of course," Tara continued, "being not so super beings and even with the 'bot, we weren't able to keep up with the influx of demons that had moved into the hellmouth. That night, Spike was watching over Dawn and the 'bot was patrolling. We had started the ritual. Unfortunately," Tara's eyes took on a faraway look as she started recalling the night in greater detail. "The 'bot was injured during a fight. Willow had programmed it to return to her whenever it needed to be repaired. It had a homing beacon."

"It led the demons right to you?" Buffy groaned and Tara shrugged one shoulder. Obviously it had.

"The demons interrupted the ritual at a crucial point," she explained. "They destroyed the urn and without it, there was nothing that could be done." She exhaled gustily. "All we could do was run. Willow was... injured from the testing of her power. Xander took her and ran, while Anya and I went the other way." Buffy nodded. Tara hugged herself around the middle and smiled sadly. "I don't even know how we survived that night. If it hadn't been for Spike..."

"Spike left Dawn?" Buffy gasped, outraged. Tara shook her head.

"No, demons attacked the house and he got her out," Tara explained rapidly. "He was taking her to safety but by then, the demons had caught up with the 'bot. He told me about it later," she offered. "They," she bit at her lower lip. This was one of the things that she was unsure as to how Buffy would react. "They wrapped her in chains and tore her apart." But Buffy, having no emotional ties to the thing that she had never once admitted was like her in any small way, barely reacted to that. It was a thing, not a person. And since Spike and Willow had fiddled with the thing's programming, it would barely contain even the smallest spark of what made Buffy real.

"Dawn saw that?" was her only question about it. Tara sighed.

"She did," she finally answered. "From what Spike said, the 'bot told Dawn before it... died, I guess you could say, that it was glad that Dawn got to be her sister. And that they, meaning it and you, would always love her, no matter where they were in this universe. Dawn of course, was upset and she ran off. But Spike followed her," she assured her friend before Buffy could protest. "That's when they caught up to us. We had met back at the magic box, which the rioting demons had destroyed. In the alley, we were surrounded and Willow was so weak. We tried to fend them off and it worked a little. Spike stashed Dawn in as safe as an area he could find and then rescued us. Willow had just enough magic left at that point to destroy the leader and Spike took care of the rest."

"So did the demons leave, or what?" Buffy wondered. Tara shook her head in the negative.

"It took Willow too long to recover," Tara remembered. "And with the 'bot destroyed, we were in trouble. Spike made the decision. He c-called Angel."

Buffy's eyes widened, unbelieving. She knew exactly what the two Vampires had thought of one another and obviously Tara knew the same. She smiled widely again. "Spike told me that he had promised you that he'd take care of Dawnie. And he also told me, right before he called Angel, that if he had to make a deal with the devil, he'd do that too."

Buffy snorted out what could be construed as a laugh and then grew quiet again. "He came?"

"He did," the witch confirmed. "He came the moment Spike called. I guess he had just returned from Tibet." Buffy's eyes narrowed and darkened. "He didn't handle the news about your death very well."

"No," Buffy agreed, remembering when she had skewered Angel with that blessed sword, sending a souled man to hell for the crimes of the unsouled Vampire demon.

Of course he had come back, eventually and while Buffy shuddered at the brief memories of that time, she pushed the thoughts in her mind away. She was still too delicate she knew to try handling those implications of where she had sent Angel to. "So he, Angel, came and helped?"

"He did," Tara nodded. She remembered finally getting to meet Angel properly, being able to see and sense for the first time, the soul in the demon, how dual his nature truly was and the constant fight he endured to stay on the truly righteous path of a champion. But since it had been Buffy's last wish, to care for Dawn, even though it hadn't been uttered to Angel, he had taken up the cause immediately. Her lips curved as she remembered those early days. "There were some power struggles, between them, of course," she related. She paused for a moment, swallowing, wishing now that she'd been able to take up that young man's offer of water.

But protecting Buffy's secret was more important. Not because of the secret itself, but because Buffy needed the time to understand everything before she made decisions like the ones she had before. Deciding whether or not to bring new people into her sphere. Tara had no delusions of what the life of a Slayer was like. It didn't seem to matter whether she was like Buffy or Faith or any of the other girls. A Slayer's life was hard, brutal and most of all, short.

"Angel had to divide his time at first between Los Angeles and Sunnydale," Tara explained and Buffy nodded. "There was almost as much demonic activity there as with the hellmouth. But then, it's a much larger city," she mused, experience of living there a good portion of her adult life had her defensive, just slightly, but then she recalled that Buffy had lived there too, once. She sighed, knowing that they would be moving into another emotionally dangerous portion of their history.

"When Angel realized that his presence wasn't helping as much as we hoped," Tara was the one fidgeting now as Buffy sat still as a statue on her seat. The only sign of life, aside from the most obvious were her eyes, narrowed and calculating. "Well, he made the decision to retrieve Faith, from prison."

But instead of making an outcry, Buffy simply nodded. "That would be he expedient thing to do," she agreed mildly and then sighed and tilted her head to the side. "Angel always had a great amount of..." she grinned, just slightly, when she realized the overt pun she had been about to make. "He believed that Faith could do better if only someone believed in her."

Tara nodded, not saying, but she had felt the same way about Faith after seeing the woman's penance and the turn around in her desire to do good. To make amends. It had been rough going all around. "Well, he managed some way of getting her out on some technicality," Tara mused. "Something to do with some files that a law firm had. Well, he brought her to town and set her up in an apartment not far from the house. He didn't want to push her presence on us. But he wanted her close in case we needed help." Again, Buffy simply nodded.

"How... how did the gang take it?" she wondered, but truthfully, she was only worried about Dawn.

Tara though, was an astute reader of the human mind, more so when it was someone she had been close to. "Dawn wanted nothing to do with her," she recounted. "And Willow and I were wary around her at first. Anya was fine with her as long as it was clear that she kept her hands of Xander."

Buffy smirked at that, remembering the ex-demon's fits and rants. Some of which had been directed at Buffy herself. "And how did Xander feel about her?" Curiosity won out.

"He was all for giving her the benefit of the doubt," Tara smiled. Xander always had been the biggest hearted individual she'd known. "He figured that since we were going to be working with her, to try and let bygones be bygones. And with that in mind, we worked with Faith as much as we could, but with a, w-well, a real Slayer," and here she peeked up at her friend, but Buffy was still contemplative, "back in town, things settled down again, pretty much."

"But I guess there was something waiting to happen, huh?" Buffy noted sarcastically.

"That's about the time that social services, found out through the school, that they hadn't been able to get in touch with you," Tara recalled sadly. "The first few times that the social worker came by, we managed to foist her off with stories of you being out, looking for work or getting groceries, things like that. But then, well, someone, we don't know who, we suspect someone from the school overheard Dawn say something and reported it."

"What did she say?" Buffy frowned, her eyebrows furrowing deeply. Even though she herself had reamed Dawn out for not thinking before she acted, she also knew how devastated the girl was when her mouth ended up running away from her and chaos ensuing in the aftermath. Just take Dawn being kidnapped, through her own stupidity as an example.

"We're not sure," Tara sighed. "All I know is that Willow had devised a plan to create a spell to modify her voice to yours and was going to use a glamor to look like you. Those were the ingredients that Spike was picking up for her when he was trapped by the sunlight. And Angel, he was having to spend more time in Los Angeles, so he wasn't there either." She drew in a deep breath before she went on. "The case worker showed up with a officer of the law and demanded entry into the house. Well, we were trying to keep things calm. They demanded to know where you were and we were so surprised by the officer being there that we all gave her different answers. The woman said that she suspected that you had abandoned Dawn and that we were covering for you."

Buffy's outraged gasp was a balm to Tara's still raw emotions over the whole sequence of events.

"When we couldn't produce you," Tara's voice had dropped to a whisper now, "the woman told us that she was taking Dawn into protective custody. That your father had already been notified, since they wanted to know if he had heard from you. He was on his way and custody would be transferred back to him.

Of course we were all devastated," Tara concluded and Buffy nodded shakily. She knew, sort of, what came after that. Dawn had been taken, given to her father, Spike had followed them. But the rest...

"Do you mind if I get myself a glass of water?" Tara spoke quietly and made a sort of half grimacing smile. "All this talking."

"Oh of course," Buffy nodded quickly. Realizing that the only glass in her room was full of disintegrated burned paper, she stood from her chair and gestured towards the door. "I think I could use some as well. Let's go to the kitchen. Will the spell...?"

"It's on the room until I lift it," Tara explained as she stood as well. Buffy preceded her out the door and they made their way down the hallway. The apartment was silent and when they passed the living room, both were surprised to see that Logan and his friends were not there. But then Buffy smiled as she turned in the direction of Logan's office. She made her way over to the room that she had studiously avoided, as per her cousin's request. But now, the door stood open and both women could hear Alec and Max arguing over something.

"It's my turn Alec!" Max growled out and there were what sounded like slaps of some sort being exchanged. "You've had it long enough!"

"Get off Max!" he grunted and there were more slaps. "This one is mine! Get your own."

"Technically it's Logan's," Max retorted and they heard a thump. "And he gave it to me first!"

"I have more," Logan's voice interrupted tiredly. "You two don't need-! Hey, watch it!"

"Sorry!" both of the younger adults apologized, almost by rote.

"But if Alec here would just-!" Max grunted this time and there was another thump.

Buffy came to a halt at the doorway that was opened up in an unusual turn of life in her cousin's home. She crossed her arm and leaned on the door jamb as Tara, slightly taller, looked on over her shoulder. She glanced down at Buffy's countenance, pleased to see a small smile playing on the blond's lips. She turned back to the scene before her, her eyes sweeping around the computer monitors and towers, the video equipment and shelving. She refrained from commenting on how much all of this must have cost Logan Cale to put together, remembering how they had had to scrimp and save and rustle up donations for their two computer systems, one for the store and inventory and one for Tara's office that she gladly let others use.

Logan was seated in a rolling chair before one of the computer screens and Tara smiled when she recognized the web site that he was at. She had been very proud when Denise designed it and showed her around the virtual tour of the commune. Tara had been surprised how many people visited the site on a daily basis, right from the first. He was watching tiredly as Max and Alec appeared to fight over something that Alec was grasping in his hand and keeping from Max by the simple expedience of holding over his head. With his much taller frame, Max was unable to simply grab it from him. And as they watched, Max made another jump, but Alec simply leaned back, out of her trajectory. The thump as she landed, told them that this was not her first attempt.

"Having fun?" Buffy finally asked, her voice laced with something that could be called amusement. All three however, stilled and then spun around. Logan flushed immediately and started checking around the room, for what they did not know, but after a moment he stilled once more.

Max and Alec on the other hand, seemed locked into their childish antics and stared at the two blond women with wide eyed 'hand in the cookie jar' looks that quickly transmuted, in the same moment, to innocence as Alec swiftly lowered his arm.

"Maxie here was trying to steal my pencil," he explained affably, smiling widely at them, well, more at Buffy. He held out his hand, palm flat to show them and Max took the chance to steal it from him.

"My pencil thank you very much," Max snarked, cradling it to her chest.

"Uh huh," she muttered, shaking her head and then turned to her cousin. "Are they always like this?" He nodded tiredly and then chuckled.

"Yes and sometimes there's actual fighting and breaking of furniture," he teased, though Tara sensed that he wasn't kidding about that, judging by the way Max and Alec were suddenly studying anything that wasn't the other. She could have sworn she heard Alec mutter about paying Logan back. She smiled, wondering if he meant for the teasing, or for any furniture that had been destroyed.

"I wouldn't feel too bad," she smiled gently. She put her hand on Buffy's shoulder and smiled down on her. "Dawn shot a crossbow bolt into the wall and when she pulled it out, it brought a whole chunk of plaster with it. She hid it for two days by putting the ficus in front of it"

Buffy huffed, her eyes wide, "what moron let Dawn have a crossbow?" she complained and then quickly realized that it had been from her stash of weapons. After all...

"Xander," Tara giggled. "He was cleaning it for Willow's presentation on medieval weaponry at college," she covered, including the rest of the group in her explanation. Buffy nodded in a long suffering way. "He did repair the wall though. And made Dawn help."

"So you're saying," Logan grinned too, pleased to see so much reaction, and not negative, from his cousin. "That I should be thankful it's not worse? Or more often?"

"Both, I suppose," Tara grinned agreeably.

"So," Alec, his hands now empty, clapped them together in his common bid to gather attention back to himself. "Did'ja have a good chat?"

"Mmm," Buffy shrugged the shoulder that wasn't pressed up against the door jam, "still with the chatting. But Tara's throat was getting dry. Mine too," she explained with clipped words.

"Well feel free to help yourself to anything in the refrigerator," Logan invited and watched as his cousin nodded and pushed away from the door. She had only gone two steps when Tara leaned a little forward.

"Just to let you know," she intoned, directing her words at Alec and Max, "it works better, the first time you try floating a pencil, if you're outside. Really connect with the earth to help the magic flow. Just a little tip."

With that, she pulled the door shut and all three still in the room, were startled to hear the giggles that quickly faded as the two old friends moved off to the kitchen.

"Did you hear that?" Max asked, a little breathless.

"She was laughing," Logan commented, the wonder in his voice echoing hers. Alec however, just looked smug as his arms crossed over his chest. "Not much, but a real laugh, huh?"

"Guess seein' her friend helped more than we thought it would," Max nodded as she looked thoughtfully down at the writing implement still clutched in her hand.

Alec on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten all about trying that little experiment for favor of musing how much... better Buffy looked. There had been color in her face. She hadn't flinched at all when Tara had spoken about her sister. Had been able to giggle over Tara's teasing of them, understanding exactly what was happening. He was... glad for her.

He could admit to himself that he liked seeing depths in her hazel eyes. Instead of that emptiness, or the constant fear and pain. There was of course, a certain hint of resignation, but he was quite sure that they were touching on so many heavy subjects this night. And many more to come when they had their turn to grill the Maclay woman.

Still, she had looked... beautiful. A little more of the way she should look and for some reason that he didn't delve into, that made Alec happy.


	23. Chapter Twentytwo

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so please ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

A/N: For those of you that have been waiting, these next chapters will finally get into what happened to the rest of the Scooby gang.

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-two

_May 31st, 2021_

_9:16 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers, penthouse suite_

"Okay," Buffy muttered as she and Tara had returned to her bedroom in her cousin's well appointed penthouse suite apartment. Upon shutting the door, she felt a little tingle going through her, which she quickly assumed was Tara's anti-eavesdropping spell kicking back in. "You aren't worried about them trying to do magic, here in the apartment?"

Tara settled the two glasses of fruit juice she was carrying on the table with the earlier glass of water, while Buffy added two bottled waters, in case they needed them. She shrugged one shoulder.

"We've ascertained that the information on the web page isn't complete," Tara explained. "It's more of a guideline to weed out who is truly interested and who might just be dabbling." Buffy nodded thoughtfully and Tara was happy to see her friend's hand stray towards one of the juices. Buffy looked so much more thin than Tara remembered her being. "Also, I didn't really sense much latent skills in any of them. If they manage to float a pencil? It'd be pure luck more than anything."

"Okay," Buffy sighed and then quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "Just as long as nothing goes kablooey. I don't think my head can handle that right now."

Tara nodded to that and retrieved her own juice for a sip. It was a peach concoction and very tasty and refreshing. Buffy mimicked her movement and after a relieved sigh at the moisture, they both replaced their glasses on the table.

"So," Buffy mused, picking up the thread of their previous conversation, "you've explained how Dawn was taken, why, but what happened after?"

Tara fidgeted for just a moment before straightening herself to answer. "We were devastated and things continued to spiral out of control," she admitted, the weight of the guilt that had bogged her down in the past, resurfacing. Before Buffy could respond to that, she held up a hand. "I say continue, because even before your... death, well, Willow was growing in her powers so quickly." Buffy nodded and Tara was relieved to know that, like her, Buffy had seen that and like her, had not said anything in the early days. It told her that the reservations that she had had upon realizing that Willow was growing dependent on the magics were not just her own, as was her reasoning perhaps behind not saying so at the time. Of course Xander had had no compunctions.

He had seen the problem, had commented on it, often. The worry stemming from his love for his best friend. Tara just wished that she had listened to him earlier. Squaring her shoulders, she continued. "Willow was growing dependent on her magic. Not just to use when we were fighting demons, but for every little thing."

"Everything?" Buffy asked, leaning forward a little. Tara grimaced, remembering how bad things could get.

"She was using it for every day living," Tara explained slowly. "She wouldn't bother to do things for herself, if there was a way that magic could get it for her."

"Was that really bad?" Buffy asked, seeming mystified and then hastened to clarify herself. "I mean, I know that magic doesn't just happen. There's like... rituals or, well you can't get something for nothing, right?"

"Exactly," Tara nodded quickly, seizing upon Buffy's thoughts. "There are rules for everything, especially magic. But it didn't seem to matter to Willow. When she recovered from her... testing, sh-she seemed determined to prove that sh-she wasn't a failure. For example, when Xander and Anya announced their engagement, she magicked up a party for them."

"They got engaged?" Buffy asked with a small trace of a smile. Tara nodded, but didn't copy the gesture, as she knew what had happened later. "Okay," Buffy sighed and motioned for Tara to go on.

"They actually got engaged quite a bit before," Tara informed her gently, "but were waiting for a good time to announce it. I think Xander was hoping to wait until you were back. But that didn't happen, then, of course..."

She screwed up her face for a moment, not stating the obvious. "Anyway, Anya convinced Xander to announce the engagement, hoping that it would cheer everyone up, and it worked, a little."

"But Willow was messing with the magics?" Buffy surmised with a note of finality. Tara could only agree.

"I tried to point it out to her," Tara was only slightly defensive of her own actions in those days. "That for every use of magic, there was an exchange, a balance to be made, a price to pay. We... argued over it."

There was silence for a moment and Buffy finally reached out this time, to Tara and the older woman was not unaware that it was more a move of what you would expect of sympathy from another person. Not that Buffy was overly motivated, she seemed to be going through the motions. But perhaps that was all she could give right now. Tara had other nuances through the night that something of the old Buffy had lingered. She excused the differences now because there was no way that something like what had happened to Buffy and trying to reacclimate to her life, was going to leave her the same.

"The worst part," she continued softly, "was that after the fight, she used a memory spell to make me forget the fight and why I was upset with her." She hadn't been expecting the reaction she got to that.

"Willow did that?" Buffy asked, a small surge of anger through her giving her voice a higher volume and Tara startled just slightly. "After what Glory did to you?"

Tara nodded tiredly. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea, trying to get all through it that night. For Buffy or for her. "Yes and when I realized what she had done, I told her that she needed to stop using magic for everything. She agreed to stop using it for every little thing, but with the situation in town, she needed to be able to defend herself or others. I could understand that, even as worried as I was about her magic use."

"But it was still there," Buffy murmured. "That was just an excuse."

"It was," Tara agreed. "And then, when Dawn was taken, since your father showed up when the CPS officer took her into protective custody, I was helping Dawn pack a bag when he got there," Tara lifted her eyes to the ceiling, trying to blink back tears at the memory, "Willow pretty much lost it."

"How so?" Buffy asked quietly.

"We, meaning Xander and I, since he was in full agreement with me," Tara noted, "were limiting the one thing that Willow thought she could use without consequence to order things to the way she wanted it. When we didn't get you back, when Dawn was taken, Willow kind of lost it. She went off the deep end, Buffy."

"And you knew this?" Buffy's mouth was trembling. "Because when it's people Willow loved..." She did remember when Tara had been attacked by Glory and Willow trying to retaliate.

"We had to talk her down from going after Mr. Summers and the social worker and 'taking care of them'," Tara recalled. "But then we had to do it again when Spike got back and he lost it. But of course, he went after them on his own. It was getting bad enough that I threatened to leave her if she couldn't control herself." Buffy gasp told Tara that the girl realized just how serious the situation with Willow was. She frowned. "It seemed to work. Faith, seemed to help."

"What do you mean seem?" Buffy demanded suspiciously. Given their mutual histories, Tara couldn't blame her but she hastened to make her understand.

"Faith was trying to help Willow come down from being dependent on magic, to understand that the power could not be in control of her," Tara explained. "She did learn in prison and Faith was different in ways, from what everyone said. But from what we were able to understand later, Faith was trying to show Willow that she and we, there was no one to really blame for the bad things that were happening. They just happened. People didn't make the best choices and we had to live with what we did and the things we will do."

"That makes sense," Buffy murmured in reply. "So how was that bad?"

"Because Willow started to stop blaming herself and others," Tara announced. "She started blaming the Hellmouth instead. For being, for the evil, for taking you and Dawn and Jesse and the people she cared about, away from her. I think, I m-mean, I don't know for sure, but I think that W-willow thought that if she... got rid of the Hellmouth, there was a chance that we could get Dawn back. That was one of the things that both the social worker and Mr. Summers were upset about. That things weren't safe in the house."

Buffy opened her mouth to protest but seemed to think better of it. Dawn shooting off crossbows in the house didn't bring the words, safe as houses to mind.

"So did she... what did she do?" she finally asked.

Tara took another, longer sip of juice and then held the glass in her hands, her fingers playing with the condensation on the sides. Finally she had ordered her thoughts enough. "She took to going out with Faith, we thought to patrol, but only later discovered that she was researching. She probably told Faith something else to get her to cover in case we talked. We weren't... doing a lot of that. We should have. Eventually, Willow must have found something. She had a plan and she had Faith to back her up. But what none of us realized, was that Faith had been hurt during a patrol, the night before they..."

"How did you know that?" Buffy asked, confusion marring her expression.

"When we couldn't find Willow," Tara went on slowly, "we searched for her, never imagining that she would be at the old high school. Anyhow, we ended up at Faith's, just in case and we found bloody towels, bandages, supplies that she hadn't put away and it was fairly fresh. We were getting worried enough that I did a locator spell. We... got to the high school just as it happened."

"What happened?" Buffy asked breathlessly.

"She closed the hellmouth," Tara announced, there still being a kind of awe present in her, at what the unpredictable, precariously emotioned redhead had done with her power. "We had a coven of witches from Devon, through Giles, come and investigate and what they found, was that using a combination of magic and emotion, Willow was able to bar both sides of the Hellmouth. It was still present, but it was inaccessible. And I don't know how," she offered slowly, shaking her head slightly, "because when a magic user dies, usually their spells, their actve spells, well stop, or eventually fade. Hers didn't. The coven, they figured that until a demon came up with a way to emulate the spells she used and the emotions, more importantly, they would be unable to open it again, from either side."

"They can't love," Buffy reaffirmed and Tara smiled.

"I think they can," Tara contradicted, "but it's more selfish in nature. And also, the demons that do love, have no cause to want the hellmouth erupting around them." Buffy pursed her lips as she thought her way through that one and then shrugged it off.

"So what happened to Faith and Willow?" she asked instead and Tara could see the girl preparing herself. There was no way to sugar coat it and Tara knew that.

"They died," she offered softly. "Faith, defending Willow, with her injuries, from creatures that apparently were squatting in the school and Willow from the powers of the spell. Or, perhaps, that was the sacrifice demanded for the consequences of the spell. We're... not entirely sure."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Buffy spoke softly, her emotions more precarious than they'd been the whole time Tara had been present that evening. And she knew that the Slayer was not speaking of the unsurity, but of the sacrifice.

"We were devastated once more," Tara continued, talking just to give Buffy time to recover herself if she could. She would be more than willing to go through this again later if she needed to. "We grieved for them, of course. And when the Council found out that Faith had died, they sent the new Slayer to us, not knowing yet of course the effects of Willow's spell. Kennedy didn't last long," Tara mused. "She was... headstrong and didn't take well to others 'interfering in her domain' and her watcher wasn't much better. She was only there a couple weeks..." Buffy still didn't seem to be paying attention and she went on.

"It was very surprising to find that the town of Sunnydale was actually fueled by the demon population to some extent. We never realized that all the devastation that the demon populace caused was what actually kept the influx of people coming to the town. The low tax and property rates, of course, the constant demand for employees to replace those that died, or the property destruction that kept construction companies going. With the cessation of activity from the hellmouth, the demons eventually stopped coming and started flocking to Cleveland, as we found out from Giles, that there was another hellmouth, a smaller one there."

Buffy nodded at that but stayed quiet.

"People started to move away," Tara informed her. "And the construction company that Xander worked for? It went under, but he found a new job in Los Angeles. Giles made the decision to sell the magic shop and split the proceeds with Anya. He returned to England and Xander and Anya moved to Los Angeles." This got a wary, almost chuckle, from the girl, though it was small and she looked apologetic as Tara tilted her head to understand.

"Sorry," she murmured. "Just didn't ever really see Xander as a big city boy."

Tara shrugged one shoulder. "He managed well enough. Anya took to it like a duck to water, finding employment at a demon karaoke bar." Buffy's eyes went up at that and Tara giggled. Perhaps Buffy would enjoy meeting Lorne one day. The girl had always like Clem and the two were old friends.

"Things were going well for them," Tara's voice lowered again, not missing Buffy's sudden sharp glance. "But as the wedding drew closer, well, Xander wasn't..."

"Cold feet?" she asked, her sharpness of the mind betraying the air headed blond look that she'd cultivated over her early years as a Slayer.

"Yes," she simply stated. "He had trouble telling Anya about this and it wasn't until the actual day of the wedding that things came to a head. A demon came and pretended to be Xander from the future."

Buffy's eyes widened momentarily in surprise, but then narrowed once more. "Demon?" she repeated.

"A demon that had been the victim of Anya's days as a vengeance demon," the witch confirmed. "He showed Xander a vision of their future and how bleak and dismal it all supposedly was. Xander called off the wedding, but the demon was revealed and Xander was nearly killed."

"Nearly!" Buffy choked out. Tara quickly laid a reassuringly hand on the girl's arm.

"We stopped it," she stressed. "But even with the demon revealed, Xander still wanted to put off the wedding."

"Put it off?"

"Xander felt that he couldn't marry Anya with all these fears and worries he had. Not just about himself and Anya and the demon background she had, but his own demons. His family. It was all brought home to him when his family arrived and what he'd lived with when he was younger..."

"The drinking and abuse," Buffy surmised. Tara nodded, surprised that Buffy knew and obviously the girl realized that. "We could all see it, but since Xander wasn't being hurt... physically, I guess... Well, we just sort of ignored the embarrassing behavior and hoped he'd get things together and get out of there. Which, he did, so..." Tara smiled softly, remembering the motivation that Xander'd finally had to make the leap forward into independence.

"Anya of course, had so much trouble understanding his decision," Tara told her. "Xander wanted some time to figure out how to deal with his past, but Any was hurt. She went back to D'Hoffryn."

Buffy's looked confused for a moment and then it cleared and she became angry.

"She became a demon again?" she asked, looking for clarification that Tara gave immediately.

"She did," Tara nodded. "D'Hoffryn used her pain and fear against her and she went back to what she knew."

Buffy stared at her for long moments and then suddenly her shoulders slumped. "I always worried about that," she finally admitted in a small voice. And then with a tremulous smile, continued explaining. "Anya always had so much trouble with being human and whenever she talked about being a demon, she made it sound like it was the best time in her life."

Tara grimaced at that statement, but more because it was true than anything.

"And becoming human, that wasn't Anya's choice," Buffy recalled. "It happened because of a spell or something going wrong in one of her wishes, I think. I was always worried that she would somehow figure out how to do it again." Neither needed to point out that Buffy's fears were very real and very accurate.

"I'm not so sure that it was entirely the good life that she remembered though," Tara went on quietly. "It became... apparent after a while, that Anya had re-entered the demon fold to wreak punishment on Xander." Buffy's eyes went wide and Tara shook her head. "She couldn't do it for herself of course," and Buffy nodded slowly. "So she came to those of us left that knew Xander and tried to get us to make a wish about him."

"Those of you left?" Buffy caught on. "Who all was that?"

"Well, there was me, of course," Tara smiled, "apparently she found Dawn, but Dawn had already talked through the whole situation with Xander on the phone and she was firmly on his side."

Buffy blinked rapidly as she assessed that. And then her face softened. "You guys didn't lose complete contact with her?"

"Oh no," Tara grinned, remembering long telephone conversations with a cup of hot chocolate on both ends and Dawn rambling on about her days abroad. "After Mr. Summers, well, after he felt that enough time had passed to calm everyone down, he had no problem with Dawn writing us or calling every few weeks. Or we could call her. It wasn't fair to always make him foot the bill." Buffy looked like, had she more energy, she would have argued that point. "Anyway, there was also Cordelia and another girl who worked with Angel, Winifred, but everyone called her Fred."

"She knew Xander?"

"Not as well as the rest of us," Tara declined, shrugging. "Xander didn't associate much with Angel, of course. And Los Angeles was big enough that they didn't really run into each other, just occasionally when Xander went to pick Anya up from work maybe."

"At a demon karaoke bar," Buffy repeated slowly. Tara shook her head, her face beaming.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," she offered, almost cheekily. "The demon, who wasn't so much of a demon as he was a displaced intra-species anomaly," she checked her grin and the tilted her head. "Sorry, Fred was very... smart and she made a whole classification system for the demons they dealt with. Also, she had been kidnapped to the world that Lorne was from, Pylea. So she knew quite a bit about them. Lorne was listed as an anomaly, because the Pyleans had a warrior race and Lorne was strange because he loved music. So when he ended up in Los Angeles, he opened his karaoke bar. He's a bit of an empath, and can read a being's future when they sing."

"That's... not too weird on the weird-o-rama meter," Buffy admitted and then shook her head as well.

"For us, no," Tara concurred. "After, well, after Xander and Anya broke up, Xander slowly drifted out of the group. Not that it was really... a... a group. I stayed behind in Sunnydale, for a while, continuing my education. But then, I was offered the chance to study with the Devon Coven witches, in England. Since there was... nothing left for me in Sunnydale, I went." Buffy offered no censure on that and Tara smiled.

"I stayed in contact with everyone, of course," she inhaled deeply. "I saw Giles most of all, because he worked with the coven as well. I think... I leaned on him a lot. Trying to understand where things went wrong with W-willow. And I finally started to understand, that she had an addiction and it wasn't my fault, nor anyone else's. Of course, we recognized signs, but not putting things in the proper context, we didn't know how to prevent things, or help her to see why what she was doing was wrong."

"Okay," Buffy accepted. "So what else?" They both knew she was asking, not for the intermediary, but the end results.

"Xander, like I said, was working for a new construction company," Tara swallowed heavily, because after the loss of the Summers women in their lives, they had grown so much closer for a time. But in the end, it hadn't been enough. They had drifted into their new lives until their closeness was only through happy, both real and forced, telephone calls. So Tara knew enough. "He was very wary of getting involved with anyone else. But he eventually started dating again. He had some disaster's. I mean, it wouldn't be Xander if he hadn't." A brief look flashed across her friend's face and Tara chuckled silently. "That's where Angel came back in. He would always rescue Xander from whatever mess he was in. Anyway, just before the pulse happened, he was working at a site and there was, th-there was an accident. Xander was hurt, very badly." She paused as Buffy winced and then seemed to brace herself. She took a moment to assure that both of them were ready for her next words. "Xander suffered a blow to his head among other things. The doctors at the hospital put him in an artificial coma to try and give his brain time to get the swelling to go down."

"What happened?" Buffy choked out, no doubt memories of her mother flying through her mind, Tara mused. And indeed they were.

"He didn't come out of the coma," Tara whispered. She swallowed again, thought about reaching for her juice, but kept her hands still, in her lap. "He wasn't exactly brain dead, or anything, but the swelling wasn't going down as quickly as the doctor's liked and they worried that he would be... mentally impaired. Because of the sporadic nature in which his body was working."

Buffy squeezed her eyes shut, flinching and Tara sighed. She hated this. She knew it was wrong, to put this all on her friend, all at once, but it was necessary. It would be a cruelty to allow Buffy to look for and hope that the tattered bits of her old life would be there for her. All they could do was get through it and try to help the girl build something new.

"The doctors told us that he wasn't registering any pain," Tara offered, trying to soothe the hurts. "That he could hear us, talking to him was good, give him a reason to come back to us."

"They have to lie," Buffy mumbled and Tara leaned forward to hear her. "They have to tell you that." It took Tara a moment to understand what she was saying and though her gut twisted a little, she suddenly understood.

"Maybe they do," she offered. "But I think in those cases, it was the truth. These things happen so quickly. With the medication that they were giving Xander intravenously, he wouldn't have been in pain."

"You said it was right before the pulse," Buffy whispered then, obviously forcing herself to move past that remembered and still very real and much felt pain. "The pulse was some sort of bomb? It wrecked the computer systems?"

Tara could see that Buffy was putting the sequence of events together herself and she waited, to let Buffy come to the realization on her own, rather than having it forced on her.

"And they had Xander on... machines?"

Tara nodded.

"And when the pulse happened, the computers and machines stopped working?"

Another nod.

"And Xander died."

It was no question but Tara nodded regardless, fighting back tears once more. Silence pervaded the room again and neither spoke for the longest time. Finally, raising her tear streaked face, Buffy had one more question.

"Was he alone? When it happened, I mean. Was he alone?"

"So what do you think they're talking about now?" Alec murmured, as he leaned once more of his earlier post, against the wall leading to Buffy's bedroom. Somehow, as they had read Tara's website, fooled around with the information they'd found and passed the time in general, things had changed. They had all, to some point within themselves, started to allow the veil of disbelief they had about magic to be lifted somewhat. Logan could allow that there was more to it than he understood, given the givens, meaning, what he had seen with his own eyes. Though he still thought there was quite a bit of trickery.

Alec was open to it all, since perhaps it offered an explanation for the things that the scientific, logical bent Manticore upper echelon had no answers for and therefore disregarded as important. It didn't affect him adversely and so was nothing for him to fear per se.

Max on the other hand, having lived through, dealt with, put away from her mind, her part in the spell that had resurrected Logan's cousin, was scared. She had been able to disregard it for so long after it had happened. It was almost like there was a natural block that kept her from thinking on it, kept her from going mad with what had happened to her. But now that she had touched upon it again, the magic, it was like a dam in her mind, cracking, leaking, little drops of memory or thought or something falling through. It was a sensation she most definitely did not like. And true to form, when confronted with things that Max did not like, she was ready to bolt. Only her knowing that the person that might have those answers for her, was down the hall, kept her precariously in her seat.

"I think Ms. Maclay is probably telling Buffy about the people that were in her life," Logan sighed as he readjusted his glasses once again. For once, instead of busying himself with paperwork or telephone calls or the world at large, he was almost as focused as Alec was, on that hallway. He glanced momentarily at the two transgenics. "If you lost so much time, wouldn't you want to know what happened to the people in your life?"

Alec and Max had glanced at one another. For Max, even losing a few months back to Manticore after they had blown up the DNA database at the Wyoming facility, it had been her deepest desire, right after escaping. The desire to get back to the people she cared about. For Alec on the other hand, there had been no such desire ever. When he had lost time, it had been at the behest of the Manticore scientists.

Part of their scientific simplification of all the remaining twins of those that had escaped in '09, was ensuring the ability to mess with their minds more easily. It made the twins more amenable to their suggestions. They had thought that it was a method to ensure their obedience and loyalty to Manticore. What they hadn't realized was that it worked in just the opposite way. The twins developed new methods of dealing and compartmentalizing. And their only real loyalty was to themselves in the face of survival in that place. A fact that was very evident in Alec. And when his memories started coming back, Alec had searched more to quell the craziness in his mind, than a desire to find a loved one. That he had found one in the end and lost her again was the result, not the catalyst.

"Yeah," he quietly agreed as Max swallowed heavily and glanced away. She had a pretty good idea what he was thinking about.

"I think," Logan began... and then removed his glasses to rub at his eyes before replacing them and continued in a stronger voice. "I don't think either of them are going to be up for more conversation when they're done. We might have to wait, the questions we have?"

He held his breath as the two transgenics glanced at one another once more. They slowly nodded and he let out his sigh of relief. They would get the answers, he was sure. But patience, as it had ever been when dealing with his returned from the dead family, was the name of the game.


	24. Chapter Twentythree

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so please ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

A/N: For those of you that have been waiting, these next chapters will finally get into what happened to the rest of the Scooby gang.

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-three

_May 31st, 2021_

_10:32 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers, penthouse suite_

"Okay, screw this," Alec muttered as he pushed off the wall. He completely ignored Max and Logan's protests as he marched down the hallway. Yes, they'd been waiting all evening to have their turn, their chance to talk to Tara Maclay. But somehow, understandably, that wasn't as important as Buffy being given time to learn things that she needed to know from the woman. But there was a niggling in the back of Alec's mind, that the longer it went on, the worse it was getting. Something wasn't sitting right with him and he was determined to discover what it was. And after thinking it through logically and paying attention to where his instincts lay, he knew that it was centered around Buffy, of course.

Standing outside her door, he reached one hand up to knock, still unable to hear anything clearly from the other side of the barrier, then, rapped sharply. "Guys?" he asked and then moved to turn the door handle. He didn't want to startle them, even though it was an interruption. But there was no move to push the door back shut as he eased it open. And he could see immediately why that was the case.

Tara was holding Buffy as the girl wept silently in her arms. There were tears upon Tara's face as well. The older woman glanced up at Alec, no censure in her face. But her eyes? Alec's feet started moving forward of their own volition. The woman seemed pleased? Relieved, maybe? Whatever it was, she gladly relinquished the hold she had on the younger blond as Alec crouched down so that he was in Buffy's eye line.

"Hey there," he spoke softly. "We were getting a little worried. Thought you could maybe use another break?"

Buffy didn't reply, but Tara did.

"I th-think that's a good idea," she stammered only slightly, but Alec didn't move to look at her, just continued to watch Buffy. The girl had straightened up a bit and was watching Alec even as he studied her.

"I'm sorry you worried," she finally spoke and Alec winced at the roughness in her voice. "It's been... Tara just told me..."

Alec nodded, not needing her to explain further. "It's been rough, huh?" he commented, this time including Tara. "Even with all the time that's passed?" He certainly wasn't referring to the evening and Tara nodded.

"Oh but," Buffy suddenly exclaimed and her eyes darted back and forth between the two, until they settled on Tara. "Giles," she murmured softly and Tara's hand automatically reached for Buffy's.

"He passed on honey," she soothed, "a little over three years ago. In his sleep."

Even just hovering, not touching her, Alec could feel the tension drain from Buffy. This guy had been a big part of her life and he could only imagine what hearing that was doing to her. But if he had to judge by her initial reaction, he would say that she was.. relieved?

"It was...?" she asked something silently of her friend, which Tara seemed to understand. The witch smiled gently.

"Natural causes," she offered placatingly, squeezing her friends hand. "Giles wasn't a young man, by any means."

Alec was surprised and pleased when Buffy chuckled.

"He was English," she remarked. "I think he was born old." Her eyes closed briefly and then flashed back to Tara. "Did he ever tell you that when he was young, instead of going to his family's alma mater," she paused for a moment, her mouth twisting into a slight frown before smoothing out. Tara nodded encouragingly and Buffy continued, "that he wanted to be a fighter pilot... or a green grocer."

Having announced that, both women burst into laughter and Alec could sort of see why it was funny, for not really knowing the man. Such dispairty between jobs.

"So what did he end up doing?" he asked, pleased to see these signs of life in the girl that he couldn't help but care about, at least just a little bit.

"Curator for a British museum," both women replied at the same time and then smiled at one another, making Alec's smile grow. And then Buffy continued. "And then when he came to America, he was my high school librarian. And after, well, after the mess at graduation, he took some time off and then he bought a store. Just... just before my death," she finished, her eyes straying to the floor.

Alec was startled and while not pleased with the subject matter, felt a great relief he hadn't known he carried, lift from his mind. This was the first time he had heard Buffy actually verbalize what had happened to her. To say the words, applied directly to herself. She had talked a little, very little about her life before. That was a given, for the fact that she was trying to find the people in her life and there was no after... or at least very little of one in the time frame since she'd... come back. But it seemed to Alec, to be a huge step forward for her. Whatever else this visit had wrought, there was that.

"Oh," she exclaimed suddenly and both Alec and Tara's attention returned explicitly to her. Alec hadn't even noticed that Tara had been studying him thoughtfully. Buffy looked startled as well and then bit at her lower lip. "What about... well, Riley? I mean, I know he left, with the military... did you ever hear from him again?"

"We did," Tara smiled and then chuckled. "He umm, well, he came back and well, Faith pretty much, uh, kicked his behind all over town."

"She did?" her eyes grew wide. "Why would Faith do that?"

Alec was interested as well, since Buffy hadn't really been enthusiastic about this Faith girl when she had been mentioned before.

"Well," Tara sighed as she seemed to be ordering her thoughts and her nose wrinkled up a little as she began. "Faith was upset because Riley didn't come back for your funeral." Buffy nodded and seemed to wave that away, which amazed Alec, that she could casually dismiss this. To his recall, this Riley guy was her ex. He wasn't sure about the protocol of exes coming to an exes funeral, especially not knowing what had gone down between them. "She was furious with him for not being there for Dawn."

That got a vigorous nod from Buffy.

"And mostly she was offended because, well," Tara bit at her lip and then rushed through her next explanation. "She was mad because he got married. Really quickly, after you guys broke up. Like, I think it was a-about six months?"

Alec watched as Buffy's eyes grew wide and then she blinked slowly. Ouch, he hissed to himself. That was a kind of a blow. But her next words surprised him. "Wow, prison really did change Faith."

Tara nodded. "Well, once she got that sorted out, she helped him and his wife, Samantha, track down one of the criminals they were after."

"Samantha," Buffy mused questioningly.

"Sam," Tara corrected gently. "She was in the same unit as Riley, in Belize."

"Was she?" Buffy screwed her face up, unable to complete the thought.

"She was nice," Tara remarked blandly and Alec tried to hide his smile, sure that it wasn't really what Buffy wanted to hear. He knew that much about women. "They had a lot in common," she offered quickly on the heels with that. "She gave Anya and Xander a lot of advice on their wedding."

Both women frowned at that and Alec wondered what he was missing there. He shrugged to himself, figuring that if it were important, they could find out later.

"How long were they down in Belize?" Buffy then asked. "Or do you know?"

"I only heard about it later," Tara explained. "Apparently Riley wrote a letter for Dawn and asked for Xander to pass it along to her, should anything happen to him."

Alec felt the tension rise in Buffy again and was quickly rubbing a soothing circle on her lower back that didn't lessen the tension, but she seemed to draw some strength from it.

"Of course, it was sent on to Angel and he kept it until we were sure..." Tara trailed off and Buffy slowly nodded.

"Who sent the letter? Sam?" she asked and Tara shook her head.

"Graham Miller?" she offered and then waited as Buffy's face screwed up thoughtfully. "He was in the service with Riley, in Sunnydale," she prompted gently and Buffy sighed.

"I remember him," she smiled sadly. "He was... nice."

"Apparently," Tara continued, "the unit was in an area of some concentrated... guerrilla warfare," Tara offered and Alec stiffened. It was almost like he could hear the lie in her voice and a quick check of Buffy showed him that the tension had grown. Were they speaking in code because of him? He had the feeling that they were. But he let it go. It wasn't like Buffy was privy to all his secrets.

When no one countermanded her words, Tara continued. "The unit was having some difficulty and with the pulse occurring, it cut off their communications and of course, no one was able to send back up. Some of them made it out, Graham, Sam and a few others. Riley died from internal injuries, trying to protect Sam."

Buffy nodded, tight lipped and then declared, "yeah, that's the way Riley would have wanted it to be." and then the tension seemed to disappear, as something else seemed to occur to her. "But why did the letter go to Angel?"

"Oh, Angel was paying Xander's hospital bills," Tara explained quickly. "What his insurance didn't cover. The long term stuff."

Buffy nodded slowly and then threw a quick, sad smile in Alec's direction. "I guess the Pulse messed everything up for everybody, huh?"

"It did," he confirmed softly, without explanation of what it had meant for him. It was actually before the Pulse that his orderly life had been decimated, but he could not explain that to her. Not now, not here, maybe... not ever? They all sat together quietly as Alec slowed the absentminded rubbing of her lower back and then carefully withdrew his hand.

"You ready for that break now?" he offered again and was relieved when Buffy nodded. He rose up easily and held his hand out to her. She took it and rose as well but relinquished it immediately and Alec felt suddenly like he had lost something. It didn't make him happy, the loss or the realization that it bothered him. _'Can't get close' _ he reminded himself harshly. Not after all that he had rallied and railed against Max and Logan's relationship.

"So," Buffy spoke quietly as they walked out of her room, with her behind Alec and Tara bringing up the rear. "Have any luck floating that pencil?"

Alec was only slightly startled as he turned to regard the two women. Both had identical, amused smiles on their faces. He fought the embarrassed blush that was trying to rise in his face and knew from their deepening amusement that it wasn't working and then rubbed sheepishly at the back of his neck. "You figured that out, huh?"

"It wasn't hard," Buffy offered. And then she was the one grabbing at his free hand and squeezing slightly. "I mean, the first time I saw Willow do it, it was pretty cool. Of course, Faith kinda pissed her off..." she trailed off and glanced at Tara. When the woman nodded, she went on. "Well, Willow was going on about emotional control and we were talking about Faith and then all of a sudden, instead of the pencil just floating in the air, it's was spinning, like I don't know and then zoom!" She made a swift motion, slashing her free hand in the air. "Right into a tree!"

There were chuckles and then Buffy shrugged one shoulder. "I always thought it was kind of cool. To be able to do that. Until I learned more about it."

Encouraged, Alec started moving again, relishing in the simple pleasure of the warmth of Buffy's hand in his. It didn't mean anything, not really. Just the easy friendship between them growing. Friends were good, Alec had decided and they both needed... something. Just as long as he kept his eyes wide open, it would be okay, he rationalized without too much deep thought. "Yeah," he mused, "we were, I guess just filling time, mostly. The website is interesting, though," he offered over Buffy's head to Tara.

"Thank you," she replied and he was surprised to see that her stutter seemed to have disappeared for the most part. "It was mostly others that worked on putting it all together. And since one of our goals is to help promote understanding, I'm always happy to hear about people's interest. Whether it's in passing or otherwise."

"Yeah," Alec mused as they made their way into the living room where Max and Logan were sitting on the edges of their respective seats, watching and waiting eagerly. "I don't think any of us have got the makings of a witch in us, but hey, never know, right?"

"Warlock," Buffy interrupted and attention shot to her. "Males are warlocks, right?"

"In general terminology, yes," Tara agreed, and then looked around at the room. "Females are witches, but Wiccan is the term most everyone feels comfortable settling on both genders." She ducked her head just a little. "At least, that's been my experience."

"Well, you'd be the expert," Max piped up, seeming to strive for politeness, but it was tainted by a sort of eagerness on her face. "And... well," she mimicked unconsciously, Alec's earlier physical gesture, rubbing at the back of her neck for a moment.

"You probably have plenty of questions," Tara finished for her and Max, looking relieved, slightly, nodded. "In general and more specific?" She asked and Max nodded again.

"Do you think it could wait?" Buffy piped up and Alec had that strange sensation of leadership qualities in the girl forcing themselves forward. But as Max turned to her, a protest seeming to form on her lips, Buffy seemed to shrink back on herself. "It was, it was just, really rough..." she murmured. Alec threw a warning glance, laden with silent threats for Max's wellbeing if she pushed the subject and she recognized it immediately, stiffening in her seat, but then suddenly grinning and relaxing.

"I was actually thinking," Tara spoke into the silence, "that while I'd be more than happy go over everything that obviously happened in Sunnydale with you, it might be better if you could, well, perhaps you could write it out, step by step, what happened?"

"That seems logical," Logan mused, looking as if he were on the fence about it.

"I'm sure you can understand," Tara went on, "that we don't have a precise idea of what," she glanced quickly at Buffy, but the girl was quiet, "happened, why or the timing of it. I think you might have some clues. This is the sort of thing that my... group and I would need to research. So whatever details you could add...?"

"I think that would be for the best," Max agreed quietly, eying the older blond and something seemed to pass between them, whether it was understanding or a recognition of something deeper, none of the others seemed to know. "I know I'm not exactly clear on all the details. I think some time... would be good."

Tara was nodding and since Max had made the decision, Logan of course fell in line, even if he wasn't completely happy about it. Alec, having already figured that they would need to table this discussion until later, was quite all right about it.

"Would it be possible for you to come back then?" Logan asked politely. "Another time? Or, well, we don't know what you have planned."

Tara smiled and gently touched Buffy's arm, garnering her attention and then directed to Buffy herself, but also the room at large. "You have the number of the motel I'm staying at. I can certainly stay for a while longer. My assistant at the Commune is certainly capable of handling things in my absence. Would that be all right?"

Buffy was already nodding. "Yes," she murmured through a lump in her throat. "I'd like that." And then, in a surprising move to most, she repeated her actions of earlier in the night and, still holding Alec's hand, reached out to hug the older woman. But unlike earlier, there were no tears, less fears and the realization of a bond of sorts renewed. When she let the woman loose, she inhaled hugely and exhaled slowly. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Tara nodded. She turned to the others. "It was a pleasure to meet you all. Of course I wish it could have been..." she seemed to realize then that the usual platitudes weren't quite applicable and sheepishly glanced down at the floor.

"Let me get your coat," Logan smiled, happily and easily slipping into his role of host. That said, the coat was quickly retrieved and the group moved to the door to say farewell for the evening.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," Tara reassured both herself and Buffy as the stood before the door. The women shared another smile and then Tara opened the door. But her gasp and sudden step back worried them instantly. The look of horror on her face induced a panic among them all.

For the Seattle natives, it was fear that perhaps someone, most likely Joshua, had for some reason shown up on Logan's door step as he once had before. They'd had no chance to warn him to stay away, for which Max was roundly telling herself off for. But before they could even move to intervene in the potential situation, Tara had recovered herself and was about to move forward, but the door swung all the way open, to reveal who it was at the other side.

And even as the others seemed to breath a sigh of relief that it was just a man, albeit one unknown to them, they also could not miss Buffy's reaction.

"Angel!" she rasped out, and they all turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide, brimming with sudden tears and she was shaking. Alec had barely the briefest nanosecond to prepare himself as the sudden crushing pain was in his hand that held Buffy's again. Now, this ex of hers created a much more visceral reaction than the other had.

And when the tall, dark, and brooding figure stepped through the doorway, eager to make his way to the recently resurrected girl, Alec had no warning at all, when her hand went slack and Buffy Summers fainted into his panicked arms.


	25. Chapter Twentyfour

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so please ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

A/N: For those of you that have been waiting, these next chapters will finally get into what happened to the rest of the Scooby gang.

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-four

_May 31st, 2021_

_11:08 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Towers, penthouse suite_

"_Angel!" she rasped out, and they all turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide, brimming with sudden tears and she was shaking. Alec had barely the briefest nanosecond to prepare himself as the sudden crushing pain was in his hand that held Buffy's again. Now this ex of hers created a much more visceral reaction than the other had. _

_And when the tall dark, and brooding figure stepped through the doorway, eager to make his way to the recently resurrected girl, Alec had no warning at all, when her hand went slack and Buffy Summers fainted into his panicked arms._

Chaos reigned for several minutes beginning as soon as Buffy started going down. There were several exclamations of course. From Logan, from Tara and the male named Angel and another feminine voice that Alec was able to realize was not Max's. He simply ignored everything and swept an arm under her knees so that she wouldn't hit the floor. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her back further into the apartment, even as this Angel character was hurrying towards her, one arm outstretched.

Surprisingly, as he settled the unconscious girl on the sofa and threw a quick check over his shoulder, he found that Max had taken up stance between them and the rest of the people now invading Logan's apartment. The owner of said apartment was staring, well, gaping at the newcomers. Of which there were two. The male Angel and a brunette female. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and he was trying to tamp down the urge to get primal on this interloper's ass. He couldn't understand it, having never dealt with a situation like the one they were finding themselves in. Probably stemming from Buffy's sudden vulnerability. He was always a sucker for a girl in need.

He checked over Buffy's supine form and noted that her breathing was regular and her color that she had lost in the sudden rush of blood from her head, causing the fainting of course, was starting to come back. He figured she'd probably come around in a minute or two. He chanced another glance and found that not much had changed. Aside from Tara stepping forward and holding this Angel character back with one hand on his chest and the brunette woman coming forward a little more.

"Angel!" Tara chastised in a low voice, but the man's attention was firmly fixed on his former girlfriend. "Angel," she called again and this time her voice held something that slowly pulled his attention away. Tara looked, well, she looked slightly furious and there was an aura, almost palpable around her, that bespoke of a hidden power. Alec wondered if it was partly that, that had his nerves on edge. If it was, it was certainly bothering Max as well. He hadn't seen her in such a... defensive stance in well... ever. It couldn't even be called a stance, since it was more of a pre-launch attack crouch. Whatever it could be classified as, she seemed to be barely holding herself back.

"Angel," Tara began again and they could all see that the taller man looked quite unsettled as his eyes kept darting back to Buffy. "You agreed, you were going to wait."

"And when does my lunkheaded husband ever wait when it's the smart thing to do?" the brunette joked lightly, though there was an undercurrent and Alec realized that she wasn't happy either. But the woman seemed to be holding herself together much better. She turned to Logan, whom was closest to her and held out her hand. "Hi," she greeted in an overly perky voice, "I'm Cordelia Chase- O'Connor. I went to high school with Buffy."

"Oh Miss Chase," Logan started visibly and then chuckled and reached to take her hand. "Sorry, Mrs. Chase- O'Connor. Buffy had me looking for you by your maiden name only, I guess. You must have married..."

The woman nodded. "It's been just over a decade now," she offered, her eyes sliding to her husband as she let go of Logan's hand. After a moment, she tilted her head in Max's direction and then squinted her eyes. "Angel... is that?"

"Yeah that's her Cordy," Angel finally spoke, his eyes on Max as well. Alec tensed further as something in Max's posture warned him that she was close to losing it. This was one of those moments that normally, would call for his brand of slightly risque, humor diffusion, but Alec didn't feel like it. In fact, at the moment, he wanted these people gone. From his vicinity, from Buffy and Max's, from the apartment, hell from the city. He never gave thought to the fact that it wasn't precisely the people, but namely, the large male that was currently trying to creep closer to the girl that the transgenics were unconsciously banding together to protect.

"You know Max?" Logan asked, puzzled and Alec wanted to roll his eyes as the obvious question went unanswered. Especially in the face of Alec noticing that Buffy's eyes were fluttering now.

Turning away from the group at large, trusting Max to have his back, and if her agitated movement was any indication, she certainly did, he gently inserted his hand under where Buffy's was resting on her stomach. She squeezed convulsively and he tightened his own grip in response before using the back of his thumb to rub over her knuckles.

"You with us now Buffy?" he spoke in soft monotones and watched as her eyes fluttered once again and then opened and she turned her head to gaze at him.

"Alec?" she asked softly, searchingly. He gave her a quick, unconcerned grin and looked down the length of the couch.

"You got a little shock and fainted," he informed her. Buffy groaned and lifted her free hand to her head.

But then her eyes widened very noticeably and her hands clutched both Alec and the pillow cushion on which her head rested. "Angel?" she realized and then craned her neck to look over Alec's shoulder. He followed her line of vision and saw the older man smirking now and Alec had the sudden violent urge to wipe the look from his face. He hadn't been Manticore's bright boy and an undefeated cage fighting champion for nothing. But Buffy, somehow seemed to realize this and her hand in his and her other now on his chest soothed something in him. Her legs shifted and he realized that she wanted to sit up.

"Take it slow," he murmured and she seemed to agree as with his help, she righted herself on the sofa. Suddenly Tara was beside them, holding a bottle of water, the cap removed for Buffy. With a grateful smile, she took it, still not relinquishing Alec's hand, which he now added his other hand to cradle hers as he crouched before her. She nodded quickly and took a few small sips before handing it back to the blond witch.

The rest of the room was silent as Buffy took the time to orient herself once more and when she seemed ready, she loosened her grip on Alec and shifted forward. He fell back a little so that one knee came down to brace himself, but to anyone that knew him, really, meaning Max, it was obvious that he could spring into anything. When Buffy rose from the couch, he mimicked her movements and realizing that she was fully prepared to face this unexpected blast from her past and if Alec was reading her right, and there was a niggling hope in the back of his head that really hoped he was; Buffy was not pleased. Tara stood as well, just behind Buffy, at her shoulder, while Alec stood beside her, ready to protect, brace, support, whatever she needed. Max's stance seemed to loosen now that Buffy was on her feet, but Alec could almost sense her testing the air and not finding things to her liking.

"Angel," Buffy greeted the other man, her eyes roaming up and down his figure. But it was not appreciative, it was very much an assessing stare.

"Buffy," he returned and Alec felt himself with hackles rising again. The smarminess in the older man's smug visage brought that need to the forefront, the one that wanted to recreate a Picasso in the flesh, using the man's face as his canvas. In other words, he wanted it rearranged and didn't care what kind of mangled mess he left behind.

"So let me get this straight," Buffy spoke and Alec was momentarily disappointed as she pulled his hand from his, but then pleased as she crossed her arms before her and he felt that surge of... forwardness, power from her. She was in control and letting people know it. He could swear that Max let off the pressure just a little. He reminded himself to ask her later if she had noticed the same thing he had. "After Tara apparently asked you to stay away, while we got things... straightened out, you decided to disregard that?"

"Buffy it wasn't..." he began but fell silent as her hand shot out, one finger raised. His eyebrows shot up and it was obvious to everyone in the room that he had instantly realized that her ire was skyrocketing.

"I'm not done!" she hissed. "You decided to come over here and barge in here... uninvited," her voice broke on the last word and Alec registered movement behind them and noted from the corner of his eye that Tara's hand was on Buffy's shoulder for a reassuring squeeze and then removed. "When it should have been obvious to anyone with a brain that I would not be up for this tonight."

It was then that the brunette, her old friend Cordelia moved forward. It was easy to see that she wasn't pleased, but at what exactly, they could only guess. She stepped up beside her husband and brushed one hand over his shoulder.

"You'll have to excuse him," she offered peaceably, even though her eyes were flashing. "Angel's been quite the recluse. He's only really rejoined the land of the living in the last few years." Whatever she meant by that statement seemed to register with Buffy and she deflated quite a bit more.

"Still," she sighed and Cordelia glanced up at her husband, still riveted by the blond girl before him. She seemed to debate for a moment

But then Cordelia cut her off, taking a step forward and everyone, Buffy included, seemed to hold their breath. "Okay, before we get into it..." she trailed off and gestured at the distance between them. Buffy's stance softened even more and Cordelia moved forward. Buffy kept to her spot, rooted there and the older woman moved into their territory. That was the only way that Alec was capable of cataloging things at the moment. They hugged, and it was much more perfunctory than what she had shared with Tara at any point in the evening.

But when the older brunette came away from the hug, she left her hands on Buffy's shoulders and smiled down on the shorter statured woman before her. "Don't be too hard on him please," she whispered. "So much has happened. Things I doubt Tara was able to get into."

"I understand that," Buffy said in a normal tone, addressing first Cordelia, but then looking over her shoulder at the woman's husband. Cordelia nodded and pulled her hands away, backing up to give Buffy her personal space again, but Buffy's eyes were suddenly trained on the woman's hand, her left in particular. "You got married?" she spoke, factually instead of inquisitively. The sudden guilt on Cordelia's face was impossible to miss, even as swiftly as it was smoothed out.

"Uh, yeah, I..." she began and then threw her husband a worried look. But he said nothing and then Cordelia straightened her shoulders. "Angel and I married a little over ten years ago," she offered with only a vague hint of something that could be construed as remorse. To Buffy, who remembered Cordelia, and to her husband and Tara, they knew that Cordelia was throwing down a challenge, even if she didn't mean it in precisely that way. She knew that she had done nothing wrong, and that Buffy would know that, but she also recognized that the situation was difficult at best and subterfuge would help nothing. At least subterfuge on matters like these.

To her credit, Buffy didn't do much more than blink, though everyone else was sure that there had to be a lot of processing going on. Alec frowned as he realized that this information was being taken in much in the manner of her other ex, Riley, and being informed of his marriage. She wasn't saying much and giving away even less.

"Congratulations," she finally murmured and the confused look on Angels' face gave Alec a turn to smirk. Whatever reaction Angel had been looking for in Buffy, this probably wasn't it. The young blond's hands uncrossed and she dragged a tired hand over her eyes. "Look, I get that you mean well Angel. You always did. But this evening has just been..." she stared him down before continuing, "really tense. I really can't take anymore. So whatever it is that you need, it's just going to have to wait."

"I don't need anything Buffy," he spoke softly, cajolingly, inching closer again and Alec was tensing up, just as much as Buffy. Angel halted when he saw this. "I came to see how you were."

"Well, you came, you saw, you should probably leave," Buffy muttered, gesturing at the door.

"Buffy," Angel protested and though his voice didn't rise that much, they could still hear it, the entreaty from him to her. "Look, Tara told me what was going on, back in Sunnydale, back then. And knowing what happened, what they planned... I remember what it was like."

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, completely and suddenly Alec was wincing as Buffy shot forward, facing off with Angel and the bigger man was quickly quailing under the raw burst of something... power, it seemed like, radiating off the girl.

"No! You don't know Angel! None of you do!" she raged, seeming to forget that they had an audience. "You think that what happened back then can compare? You have no idea what I..." she trailed off, sucking in a breath and then swallowing heavily. "It's not the same," she whispered, "and you have no right to come here, especially after everything that's happened, whether I've been told about it or not."

"Buffy," he interrupted, looking miserable in the face of her anger and she held up her hand again to stop him.

"Angel, I... appreciate that you and Tara and Cordelia have come all this way," Buffy spoke perfunctorily now. "But you need to back off. I can't handle this... you," she stressed the word, "right now. There's just... too much." And with that, she broke away from the group and whirled around, darting around Alec and Tara, who had her back and hightailing it back to her room. To Alec's surprise, Max threw another suspicious glance at Angel and then was following after Buffy. But he heard her get as far as the bathroom and then stop. He wondered just momentarily what the hell was up between her and this couple from Los Angeles, but figured he could get it out of Max later. But since she had taken up the intermediary position between Buffy and Angel, Alec needed to stay put where he was. Some instinct was demanding it.

"Well that went better than I thought it would," Cordelia chirped brightly and all eyes in the room swung around to stare at her, mostly dumbfounded and she scoffed. "Hey, I was totally expecting her to ram something pointy and sharp through your torso, so this is way better."

"She always did have a tendency to react physically when she was upset, didn't she," Logan chuckled, though it was more released nerves than humor. He seemed to regain himself then and realizing that these 'guests' certainly weren't run of the mill, they didn't need to stay in his home. Especially when his cousin had made it so adamantly clear that she had no wish to see them further. That evening at least. "Well, I'm sorry that you came all the way over, but like Buffy said, it has been a really long night," he hinted openly and broadly.

"Yeah, we'll just get out of your hair," Cordelia nodded, her hand on her husband's coat sleeve where she had to tug a few times to get him to move. But before he did, the big man turned to Logan.

"I'm sorry for disrupting everything," he apologized quietly. "I really was just worried about her. Everything she's gone through..." He began searching through his pockets and then came up with what looked to be a business card that he held out to Logan. The lanky hacker took it without word. "If she wants to talk, my cell number is on there."

Logan nodded and stayed where he was. With an apologetic look from Tara, the blond witch began bustling them out of the apartment, all three of them talking softly as they went. To Alec's ears, it was mostly the two women chastising Angel once more for his monumental blunder and his defense of himself.

Alec sighed as the door clicked shut and then let the grin fighting to get through, finally emerge, especially when Logan moved to the door and locked it. He turned around to face Alec and shook his head, looking very much the long suffering, put upon host. Finally he quirked an eyebrow. "Hungry?" he asked.

Alec thought for only a moment and then shrugged. "Eh, I could eat."

Logan chuckled without much humor and began making his way to the kitchen. He was halted by the sudden click of a door latch and he glanced down the hallway, looking surprised. Alec quickly joined him to see that Buffy had re-emerged from her room, apparently on her own and was facing down with Max. They were eying each other, sizing one another up and then Buffy smiled sadly.

"So you've met Angel before?" she asked of Max and the brunette transgenic nodded. As once they began making their way back to the living room.

"Yeah," Max nodded, glancing at Logan and Alec. "It was about six or seven years ago. I was still living in LA at the time."

They had reached the males at that point and Logan held his hand up. "I was just going to get some snacks for us. But I would like to hear this story as well. Can you hang on a moment?"

Max nodded and Buffy smiled tightly. Logan dropped his hand and asked politely, "would either of you like something?"

"I could eat," Max nodded, unconsciously echoing Alec's words. Logan nodded and turned to his cousin.

"I didn't each much at dinner," she mused, which all the rest of them found as a serious understatement. It had worried them all, to different degrees when they thought of it, how little Buffy had seemed to eat. "I should probably have something too, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Logan returned happily and then turned to make his way to the kitchen. "Alec, do you want to come grab this plate from the refrigerator to start on and I'll put some sandwiches together."

"Sure, no problem buddy," Alec agreed, happily following after the older man for once. And as his earlier suspicions proved, Logan indeed have a cheese plate, along with some other snack things. Logan pushed a box of crackers across the counter to him and Alec snagged that as well while Logan turned to begin retrieving sandwich items from around the kitchen.

When Alec returned with his largess and settled it, with Max's help on the coffee table, he found the two women conversing easily.

"... with a gang," Max was saying. "It was hard being young and on the streets, especially right after the pulse. So they actually afforded me a lot of protection."

Buffy, glancing up once at Alec and then reaching out for a piece of cheese to nibble on, smiled tightly and then turned back to Max. "I ran away once, I think Logan had told you that." They both nodded and she rolled her eyes. "I went back to LA and I guess, well, I was lucky enough to get a job. But I had some run ins with a bunch of runaway kids. And not just them," she sighed as she seemed to remember. "There were adults too, living on the streets, trying to eke out whatever existence they could. And a lot of them banded together, in warehouses that were abandoned."

Max nodded benignly as she reached for some food as well. "It's quite a subculture that people just don't understand unless they've actually lived it."

"Anyone want drinks?" Alec interrupted quickly and both woman spared nods at him before turning back to one another. He spun around on his heel, feeling so much better about the evening now that it was just the four of them again. Yes, they still had a lot to go over and through, but now the tension had let off and there was no longer a need for high alert. Refueling their bodies was just the perfect thing.

He noted that Logan was very much in his element, putting things together as he moved over to the refrigerator to see what Logan had to offer. There were several bottles of wine, but that wasn't a good idea, Alec figured, so he retrieved the fruit juice and set about pouring some for the girls and himself and after a quick question and returning nod, some for Logan. He brought those out and settled himself onto the end of the sofa, wondering if the women were going to continue to stand as they chatted.

But the moment that Alec sat, they seemed to be of an accord as they each chose seats as well. Alec was surprised when Buffy actually invaded his space instead of the other way around. Of course, it could have just been that he'd taken the seat closest to where he had set the food and she was taking the next closest. Max sat across from them, reaching for some juice. Buffy reached for another slice of cheese and then set about opening the box of crackers and spilling some out on the cheese plate for the rest.

"I loved going to see the ice skaters more than anything," Buffy was saying now to Max. "But when I visited my dad, he took me down there once to look at the prints."

Alec, completely lost, glanced at Max, who was nodding at what Buffy was saying. She noticed Alec's lost look and smirked at him. "Man's Chinese theater, in LA," she explained for him. "Where stars immortalized themselves with their hand and footprints in the concrete of the sidewalk in front. I used to live in the theater after the pulse."

"Actually, it was Grauman's," Buffy inserted musingly and when Max lifted one eyebrow, she went on slowly. "It was named for the owner, and built after his success with his Egyptian theater." She finished her small hsitory lesson and looked absurdly pleased with herself, which both transgenics understood after her next statement. "I actually remembered my Dad telling me that. Huh." She turned back to Max. "I guess something must have happened to the sign. The pulse?"

"Or some of the earthquakes they had down there," Max added.

"Ah, okay," Alec murmured. The place wasn't one he was aware of, but the girls had given him enough information that he wasn't so lost anymore. He leaned back with his handful of popping them in his mouth while the girls continued to talk about the different landmarks around California that they were both familiar with. Buffy seemed to be handling hearing about the destruction, semi-destruction or just the rundown condition a lot of places had deteriorated to. Finally Logan joined them, adding a platter of sandwiches that he'd cut into smaller, easier to handle portions and a small pile of napkins. He took another seat and seeing that everyone was just serving themselves, joined in. Once he was comfortable, a napkin spread across his lap and the others had followed suit, he leaned back and glanced around.

"So where are we at?" he asked gently, easily. Max swallowed the portion of food she was munching and gestured at Buffy.

"I was just telling Buffy about living in Man's Chinese after the pulse," she explained and Logan nodded. Alec figured he must have been at least partially aware of her past.

"And you were familiar with the Hyperion," Buffy commented and then smiled sheepishly. "I remember that."

Max smiled fondly at the girl, which not a sight Alec was used to from her, unless it was for her roommate Cindy.

"Well, like I said," Max continued, "the gang I was with were utilizing my knowledge about art and jewelry and well, pick-pocketing."

She seemed a little apologetic, but Alec could see that she was waiting to see how Buffy assimilated the information she was passing on. But the girl just nodded.

"And my boss was always on the lookout for a place to pick stuff up," Max explained, and the sheepish grin wasn't just for Buffy, but Logan as well. "Well, he wanted me to check out the Hyperion. And there was a lot of old furniture and stuff," Max sighed. "Nothing salvageable that would bring in a lot of money. A lot of dusty old books too," she chuckled.

"Is that when you met Angel?" Buffy wondered aloud and Max shook her head.

"I never actually met him, or his friends," Max informed them. "As in introduced, but I'd see them around town. They actually thought they were helping me out once."

"They liked to do that," Buffy intoned quietly and then smiled a secret smile and Alec sensed that she was making a joke at someone' expense. Most likely theirs. Or Angel's. One sat better than the other, but she was interacting so well with them now, it was almost miraculous compared to her previous behavior. So Alec held his tongue about possibly being the butt of any joke.

"Well anyway, some punks jumped me in an alley, after a heist," Max recounted for them, paused in eating, though she had a sandwich in hand. "Angel and Cordelia? Some black guy and another skinny little brunette come racing down the alley, distracted the jerks long enough for me to take them out, knocked them out cold." And then as if suddenly realizing that Buffy wouldn't understand how well Max could defend herself, she smiled, "got a black belt in self-defense. It's a real kick or be kicked world out there."

Logan chuckled at that, but made no comment.

"And when it comes down to it, I'd rather be kicking than kicked," Max chuckled as well, while Alec nodded.

"I'm with you on that," Buffy sighed. "So," she was picking mostly at her sandwich, but bits and pieces were finding their way into her mouth and it was an encouraging sight. "Angel and crew thought they were rescuing you?"

"Mm hhm," Max agreed. "And those creeps that jumped me, they were weird."

None of them missed how Buffy sucked in her breath, and quickly asked, "weird? How so?" She looked extremely alarmed.

"They freaked out when they saw Angel," Max noted. "But they were pretty high, I'm sure, talking about midnight munchies and stuff." There was a long slow blink from Buffy and then she laughed, shortly, but a nice sound emanating from her throat and Alec found himself smiling widely in response to it. "Anyway," Max went on, "I hate to say it, but Angel, well, I know he was your... friend, but man, he was even freakier than the others."

"How so?" Logan asked before Buffy could. Max shook her head and seemed a little introspective.

"Hard to say," she spoke gently, but her eyes were flashing to the two that were in the know of her secrets. "He just, really made me uncomfortable. Like, every nerve in my body was tingling and I just wanted to get the hell away from him."

Buffy's head tilted to the side for a moment and then she was nodding. "He had... has that effect on people sometimes," she offered. "Always did," she seemed more to muse to herself. But then she glanced up at Max again. "You must be pretty sensitive to other people's... auras? I guess. Tara's like that."

"Maybe," Max shrugged. "I usually didn't stick around if someone made me feel like that." Buffy and the others were all nodding their agreement.

"So," Buffy spoke consideringly after she had imbibed some of the juice that Alec had provided. "I wonder why you made such an impression on Angel and Cordy that they'd remember you after all these years."

"Well, I was only like thirteen," Max scoffed. "And pretty aero-dynamic," she seemed to tease, but Alec and Logan got what she was hinting at as soon as she'd said it. "Taking out some baddies and then bolting like the devil was on my heels...?"

"Yeah, I guess," Buffy shook her head like it was almost too funny.

"But the weird thing?" Max seemed puzzled now and had stopped eating again. Buffy glanced up, her face passive as she waited. "He hasn't changed all that much. I mean, he'd be in what, his forties or very early fifties and he looks like he's what, maybe thirty?" Alec nodded, although until now he hadn't given it a lot of thought.

"Angel always looked so much younger than his actual age," Buffy informed them and then sighed again. "Even now. But he does look older to me. He's uh... well he's probably got those really good genes. Like Dick Clark." She stopped for a moment and her eyes went wide before she turned to her cousin, slightly panicky.

"Is he even still alive?"

AN2: For anyone noting that last part, this chapter was actually written several months before Mr. Clark passed away. Issues with the site prevented me from regularly updating, but obviously that issue has been resolved. No disrespect to the Clark family was intended. Please remember that this story takes place in the Dark Angel setting of 2021.


	26. Chapter Twentyfive

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so please ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-five

_June 1_st_, 2021_

_10:45 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Jam Pony Messenger Service_

Alec was just rolling in for the third time to the rundown warehouse that housed work. He'd actually woken up in a pretty good mood, for all the crap that had gone down the night before. After Logan had been able to clear the unwelcome guests and Tara from his apartment, the remaining company had actually enjoyed themselves. Alec still had to smile at the thought of Logan nearly falling out of his chair from laughing so hard before assuring his cousin that some old famous guy was actually dead. It hadn't made sense to Max and Alec until the pair had explained that this Dick guy always looked young and just kept on ticking. Apparently he'd been famous in the music and entertainment biz.

They talked some more about Max's run in with Buffy's now married ex, Angel and his friends. She wasn't familiar with the black guy or the other female and figured that they started working for Angel later, when Angel was pretty much out of Buffy's life. And Max admitted that she didn't get the same vibe from Angel that she had back then, to which Buffy responded that they'd both probably mellowed in their old age. And Alec had been pleased to see that Buffy had eaten several sandwiches and drank a full glass of juice before she'd finally excused herself to hit the hay. The others had agreed that they would get together again to do as Tara Maclay had asked and put together their synopses of what had gone down that fateful night.

But that was pushed back in Alec's mind as he was just enjoying the day. The weather was balmy and warm, tips were good and he had plans to hit The Crash that evening with friends. No worries about glyphs and prophecies and sweet little blonds in distress to distract him this evening.

Parking his bike off to the side and lifting his messenger bag from off his shoulder, he moved to the desk to lay the clipboard on it. Normal appreciated being able to get the mornings runs in the morning or early afternoon, rather than having to go over the entire day in the evening or first thing the next morning and Alec had no problem obliging that. Since Normal wasn't at the desk, Alec simply continued on his way to his locker. He heard the burst of familiar voices coming from slightly above him and glancing over to the employee lounge, he noted that the gang seemed to have gathered for an early lunch hour.

After opening his own locker, throwing his bag in and retrieving his lunch, he debated joining them. He looked again, a little longer and as he had thought, he saw that Biggs and Max were in the thick of the throng that included Cindy, Sketchy, Skye and Druid. Biggs caught his eye and jerked his head slightly, a silent invitation to join them. Alec nodded and started making his way over to the stairs as Biggs turned back to hear what Max was saying before the entire group broke out in laughter.

"But seriously," Max continued, as Alec bounded up the steps, "the website was kinda coolio."

"What's the address again?" Druid asked, pulling a pen and pad of paper out of his vest pocket. Max reeled it off for him and Alec recognized the Lamia Portus site.

"And were you regaling them with tales of your underdeveloped pencil floating talents Maxie?" he teased as he found a seat.

"Hey!" she protested, but there was merriment in her eyes. "I wasn't the only one now, was I?"

"Hey, I was having more fun watching you freak out when you couldn't get the pencil-!"

"That's cause you kept stealing it," she retorted.

"Original gotta say," Cindy broke in before their typical snarking began to get worse, "it's a large world. All kinds o' magic goin' down, but floatin' things? That'd be damn impressive."

"It's all tricks and illusions," Skye snorted, though he looked amused as well as he hefted his sandwich. "My brother used to be into that when we were younger. Kinda loses it's thrill when you know all the secrets behind it."

There were some nods in the group and then Sketch changed the subject as he leaned forward slightly. "So we all on for Crash again tonight?"

"Can't," Druid responded immediately, though he didn't look regretful. "Date tonight," he offered with a grin. "We might stop by later."

"Who is it this week?" Biggs asked, his voice even. But he was still new in the group and was aware that he shouldn't try and push his way in too hard, just because he was friends with Alec and now Max.

"Sierra," Druid offered. "From the photo shop?" Biggs nodded, obviously knowing who the other was referring to.

"Dude," Skye scoffed, looking impressed, "that's like what, the third date in two weeks?" he asked and his friend confirmed it with a nod. "Huh, maybe you'll finally get some tonight."

There was some more good natured ribbing and teasing before Cindy grinned and nudged him with her elbow. "Boy, you gonna love her tongue piercing. Big ol' stud."

All of the males eyes widened to different degrees of size as they regarded Cindy and the pearl of information she'd just dropped on them while Max snickered in her corner of the sofa.

"And you know about that how?" Druid suddenly demanded.

"Who do you think convinced her to get it?" Max chirped as she dug into a container with a fork and came away with some sort of casserole. There seemed to be a sigh of relief from the males and Alec caught Max's wink at Cindy over the boy's head.

"All right," Sketchy turned back to his original question. "Anyone else? Alec?"

"I'll be there," he confirmed with a nod. "Looking forward to kickin' back a little."

"Should be a good night," Sketch confirmed and looking sly, and fooling no one, went on. "Maybe we could even up the numbers, huh? Maybe your friend, Buff-ay might wanna join us."

Alec went still and he knew that Max was reacting the same. They exchanged glances and not sure what to say, Alec turned back to their horn dog friend. "I don't know Sketch. Buffy got some... news last night." He shrugged helplessly and then offered, "I don't think she's up for socializing a lot right now."

"Yeah," Max added, "she's not big on crowds right now."

"Well that's too bad," Sketch half whined, "but bad news? What better way to deal than throwin' back a few and hanging with friends?"

"Maybe for you fool," Cindy snarked, smacking at his shoulder, "but this girl isn't ya new play toy and I betta not hear of you treatin' like one." Finishing with a glare she then turned to her roommate. "Maybe we could invite her to the apartment one night soon. Kinda have a girlie night?"

"That'd be-!" Max began but was immediately interrupted by Skye's enthusiastic support.

"A girlie night?" he stressed heavily. "So that's the way she swings?" And it wasn't to playground equipment that he was referring. Cindy's arm just managed to reach enough to slap him up the backside of his head. His yelp was nothing new.

"What'd Original just say?" the black woman demanded angrily and Skye shrunk back a little.

"You told Sketchy!"

"Well you all betta listen up," Cindy warned. She threw a quiver inducing stare at the males and Alec and Biggs were the only ones not quaking under it.

"As I was saying," Max caught Cindy's attention again. "That sounds nice and I'll call her and ask if she'd like to do that. What would be a good night?"

"Anytime this weekend," Cindy decided. "Or hell the whole weekend," she enthused. "That way, the girl wanna get outta the house, we can get all primped up and go."

"I doubt that she will," Max shrugged, "but I'll extend the offer."

"A'iight," Cindy nodded. And that was the end of the subject as the crew finished up their meals, talking their usual smack and fun and then scattering to avoid Normal once more.

Buffy had spent the morning after her huge conversation puttering around her room and thinking about all the things that she had learned over the course of the last evening. In actuality she hadn't just started thinking about it, it had been on her mind all night as she had in turn, tossed about the bed her cousin had provided, and laid still, staring out at the night skyline. What Willow had done. What had befallen Xander. Angel and Cordelia of all people! Where Dawn was. Always, where Dawn was.

And the biggest stinker of them all, the sense that she was here for a reason. A driving, pervading sense of reason that she felt had nothing to do with her as an individual but one of the many. And she was starting to suddenly understand some of those Star Trek thingies that they'd dreamed up, those bjorg things that lived life as a collective conscious. After all, she'd had the Slayer dreams right from the start, tapping into lives of previous Slayers. That had been one of the ways Merrick, her first watcher had been able to connect with her, recounting those Slayers lives that she recognized. There was the single driving purpose, to rid the world of the Vampires and demons out there. She could feel them. Even up in this penthouse suite of her cousin's, she could sense them.

Through her morning ablutions, done more for something to do than any other reason, she had thought about how she was going to handle that. Her cousin knew nothing of these things and as much as she'd loved having her friends in the know, there were times when they had thrown themselves into the fray in a dangerous way. She'd had too much on her plate on many given moments. Trying to fight the bad guys, but having to split her attention to keep an eye on those friends. And while yes, they had for the most part, been able to defend themselves, they didn't have her skills or her honed senses, her strength, with which to protect themselves.

She could see why it was the Watcher's council's decision that the Slayer fought alone. It was that callous attitude that had sundered their... well, not relationship. But why she had refused to work with them unless absolutely necessary. Particularly when a Hell God in the form of Glory had shown up.

Buffy sighed as she trailed out of her room. She had waited until she heard her cousin up and moving about before roaming around the apartment. Her only idea about handling things had been to turn to Tara. Tara, still practicing her craft, would be more in the know about what was going on in this world. And whether Buffy wanted to actually admit it or not she needed a guide. She would have preferred Giles, but the cold stark truth of that, was that he had died and it was only with relief that he'd been spared what she had always feared would happen to him. That old age, or physical ailments would slow his reflexes. That he would succumb to a monster that she would be unable to save him from.

But at the same time, Buffy couldn't imagine trying to forge a new relationship with a stuffy, uptight, scone lovin' council man. Or woman. Gwendolyn Post had not been the council's poster for sane Watcher's. And the rest of the British Invasion that had followed Quentin Travers left a lot to be desired. They had missed her once. Now that she was the Slayer again, would it take them long to find her once more? Did she want to be found?

The resounding no in her mind seemed to be her answer. But she was enough of a realist that she knew things wouldn't just play out the way she wanted them too. If they had, she would still be...

She found herself standing outside Logan's office, where he had disappeared to. He had wisely offered her just a small breakfast this morning and Buffy found that like the evening before, that with not too much to overwhelm her, she was able to eat more easily, though the food was still uninteresting to her. Perhaps it always would be. Feeling more confident, remembering the conversation that had made her cousin smile that morning, buoyed her own spirits, if only on the surface.

"_I think I remember you now," she had offered hesitantly. Logan had looked up at her from where he was sliding a poached egg onto a plate from the small pan he held. _

"_What does that mean?" he had asked gently. Buffy had gestured vaguely at him. _

"_Last night, when I asked... and you were laughing," she shrugged one shoulder, a little shy of the topic. "It was like, I could see you. Happy and carefree, you know, like when you and Dawn had been teasing me over something."_

_Logan had smiled widely, tried to hide it and then ducked his head, said softly, "I remember those days. They seem so long ago, don't they?" And then he seemed to realize what he had said and implied. His head darted up, but Buffy was nodding. _

"_They really do," she huffed, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I guess we both did a lot of growing up."_

"_I hear that's what happens," Logan nodded. And in silence, they took their separate plates and began breaking their night's fast._

Taking a deep breath, Buffy knocked at the closed door of his office. She heard his muffled reply and some movement within. She had started discerning a strange whirring noise around her cousin that she had been hesitant to ask about. Her ears were a little more sensitive than most and the only two things that she could think of that might apply were strangely incongruent. The first, that Logan was a robot. Which didn't gel of what she knew about the Buffybot and that girlfriend bot, April, that Warren Meers had created.

The second was that Logan had had to have some sort of medical thing done that required some sort of machine. But she had no clue what it could be and was sure that it was completely inappropriate to bring up. So she just put it to the back of her mind. Like so many other things. The door swung open and Logan met her eyes.

"Yes?" he asked, leaning casually against the door frame.

"I just was planning on calling Tara," she informed him. "We were going to meet today and I just wanted to clear it with you. If you have other plans, we can probably find somewhere... quiet to hang out." She winced as she said it. The only places she could think of were the apartment or a library and that brought up problems of its own. But if they had to... She had already caused enough headaches for Logan that he shouldn't have to be dealing with.

"Either is fine with me," he smiled easily enough. And then readjusted the glasses perched on his nose. "I might have to go out after lunch, so you'd be perfectly welcome to invite Tara over here." There was a clear indication, to Buffy at least that Logan wasn't as sure about the other guests that he had had that night previous.

"Okay," Buffy nodded. "That might be easier, since I don't really know..." she trailed off as her cousin nodded. "Okay, I'll go call her and figure out what we're doing."

"All right," Logan nodded and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be. So just feel free to get whatever you need."

"Okay," Buffy nodded as she began to turn away. "Oh wait. Would I be able to get some pen and paper? There were some things..." she couldn't exactly explain to Logan that she wanted to write some things to talk with Tara about, and the witch might need to take notes about what had happened. There were very certain questions that Buffy had that she knew Logan had no answers for and for all his purported hacking skills, no way of finding out.

"Of course," Logan smiled and reached over to a nearby book case. He returned to the door and handed her the items that she had requested. Buffy took them with a small, almost smile and then turned away. She already had Tara's motel number in her pocket and so she moved to the living room, to be comfortable, as much as she could, while she made the call. Her hand hovered over the phone for several minutes while she built up the necessary gumption for dialing. She was worried that... someone else might answer. But finally, deciding that Tara was expecting her call, would probably be close to the phone to answer and if the other happened, she would deal.

She picked up the receiver and brought it to her ear, but then frowned when there was no dial tone. She wondered if Logan had not hung up a previous call or was perhaps listening in or something. "Hello?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh Buffy!" came a familiar voice. "That was weird. Phone didn't even ring. It's Max."

"Oh hi," Buffy was relieved. Just a simple moment of like thinking had put them on the line at the same time. "I was just picking up the phone to call Tara," she explained. "I'll get Logan for you."

"No!" Max exclaimed, though it wasn't harsh. "I actually called to talk to you."

"You did?" Buffy asked in a small voice, a little surprised. Last evening had been the first time that Max had made more than just the prerequisite overtures with her, actually talking to Buffy about her younger life and having some laughs, like real people do when they were getting to know another person. She had found Max to be interesting. She had a little more familiar sense of humor than what Logan exhibited, and their friend Alec, well, she was used to that type of guy. All jokey and light hearted, but a quality underneath that said he had your back no matter what. It was reassuring in it's own way, but nerve racking at the same time.

"Yep," Max affirmed. "Original Cindy had an idea and I wanted to run it past you as soon as possible, so you could think about it."

"All right," Buffy hedged, settling back on the sofa a little.

"Cindy and I were thinking that you might like to get out of Logan's apartment for a while," Max announced. "I've known your cousin for two years and no offense, but he is very task oriented a lot of the time."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. She had noticed as well.

"So we wanted to extend an invitation to come visit us at our apartment," Max offered, sounding a little breathless, like she didn't know how her offer would be taken. "We were thinking this weekend, 'cause there's not much goin' on. But that would be up to you. And I don't know if you're into it, but Cindy does a mean manicure."

Buffy smiled softly, glancing down at the hand that rested in her lap. The scrapes from breaking through her coffin had long healed and someone, she didn't know who, had initially taken a set of clippers to her nails. The fingernails were growing again, but still a little ragged at the same time. It had been... so long. "That sounds nice," she murmured. "I just..." she trailed off. She wasn't sure, didn't know how to say what she wanted, because she didn't know what it was she wanted.

"It's an open invitation," Max hurried to assure her. "Just let us know if you want or need a break from your cousin. I just thought..." she trailed off, sounding uncertain as well, but when she resumed, her voice was stronger. "I was thinking that it might be nice for you to spend time with someone that doesn't expect anything of you. Or anything too deep, anyways."

"That would be a change," Buffy was able to chuckle. How long had it been in her life, not counting her decades long death, that she could say that she'd had that?

"Oh yeah," Max sighed, "we could get some snacks, practice our girly arts, giggle over how all the guys at work are panting over the thought of us girls together in our undies."

"Pillow fights and lezzing out, huh?" Buffy chuckled dryly, well acquainted with hormone driven males and their propensity in not outgrowing that phase for, well...

"In Cindy's case, yeah, but she's not pushy about it or anything," Max laughed and Buffy had to smile. Cindy was a lesbian. Okay, good to know and well, fine, since she'd dealt with people coming out before. Of course, this woman, a good friend of Max's, obviously, was probably already through that stage of her life if Max could comment on it to what was still pretty much a stranger.

"Well," she spoke slowly and Max quieted on the other end. "I think that I... might take you up on that offer. I just don't know when..."

"Whenever you're fine with it will be fine with us," Max reassured her gently. "You just let me know. Logan has my numbers. Okay?"

"Okay," Buffy sighed, feeling a weird tightening in her chest.

"All right," Max sounded more confident now. "I'm gonna get off the phone and back to work so you can make your call. Later."

"Bye," Buffy said her farewell and a moment later, heard the click on Max's end. Smiling and feeling a little more confident than she had minutes ago, she depressed the catch on her end and let go to make the call to the motel.

It didn't take long for Buffy to connect with the number Tara had provided and to her utter relief, it was the blond witch that answered. When Buffy invited her to the apartment, if she was available, Tara made it clear that her whole schedule was clear. Buffy made mention of finding someplace else to meet, should it become necessary and Tara told her that she had already found a quiet library where writer's liked to work. There was a coffee shop not too far away from it and though the prices were astronomical, they were used to it. Buffy was even able to joke back that good coffee had always been expensive. She hadn't been able to bring herself to ask what Cordy and Angel were doing, or what they had planned.

Tara promised to be at the apartment at one, or shortly thereafter, not knowing what traffic would be like at that time of day. They hung up and Buffy went to let her cousin know about her plans. He was just exiting his office, that slight mechanic whine reaching her ears again and she winced, unable to hide it soon enough from her cousin.

"Are you all right Buffy?" he asked immediately, with concern. Buffy did the expedient thing of letting her hand hover over her eyes and then rub at her right ear.

"Sorry," she minced, shrugging her shoulders. "Bit of a headache after the latest sleepless night. Don't worry about it."

"Mmm," Logan agreed, lowering his tone slightly. "Tension headache?"

"Probably," she agreed, feeling somewhat awkward as they stood in the middle of the hallway.

"And I suppose the whine of my servo motor doesn't help," he mused, with a slight grin.

"Servo huh?" Buffy wasn't sure, but weren't those computer thingies? When had they started talking computers? It made sense, with the number of electronic things he had in his office, but she couldn't actually hear them from out in the living room.

"Sorry," Logan chuckled as he hunched over slightly. "It occurred to me the other day, that I'd never told you..." he trailed off and bent over fully at the waist. Buffy was about to protest, but he was simply opening up his track pants that he wore, from the knee down to the calf. Buffy could see that he was wearing some sort of brace and her eyes widened as she met his eyes again. Logan grinned, but she could see the nervousness behind it as he swiftly did up the pants Velcro outer seam again.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, wondering why her cousin needed braces for his legs. She had never been aware of any illness.

"Don't worry about it," Logan dismissed. "I was shot, in the back a few years ago." She gave a little gasp at hearing that. "Doctors said I'd be confined to a wheelchair the rest of my life, but plenty of money, some... interesting connections and here I am."

"That's..." Buffy hesitated and then realized that there were hundreds of things she could say that just wouldn't sound right. So maybe honesty was just the best way to go. "That really had to suck. But I'm glad you've managed to work with it."

"Yeah," Logan shrugged and started to move towards the living room, from which Buffy had just come. "I was in a bad place for a while after it happened. But time and the realization that I could still help people went a long way to improving my attitude."

"I can only imagine," she murmured, following after him. "So," she wondered, "is that how it happened? Helping someone out?"

"Uh yeah," Logan sighed as he took a seat on the sofa, his hands on his thighs. "There was this woman, Lauren and she was preparing to testify against a known crime boss in Seattle about some of his dirty dealings."

"And you were investigating this?" Buffy asked carefully, biting at her lip. Suddenly his job that he was so devoted to didn't sound so very safe. Logan nodded tiredly.

"I knew about this guy, his name was Sonrisa," he explained, "and while I usually don't get involved to that extent... well, I was escorting Lauren and her daughter Sophie, to Witness Protection. Sonrisa's men ambushed us in the streets, and kidnapped Sophie."

"How horrible," Buffy grimaced, remembering all the times that Dawn had gotten into sticky situations. Thank goodness there had never been gun play involved. She knew somehow that things would have gotten extremely dicey if that had ever happened. "Did you... did... was Sophie okay?" she finally got out.

"Oh yeah," Logan nodded happily. "A... friend of mine was able to set up one of Sonrisa's men and find Sophie and rescue her. Sonrisa was killed by one of his underlings. Which meant that he didn't get the chance to get off on a technicality or buy a jury."

"Wow," Buffy breathed out. And then blinked. "And here I thought my life was chaotic." She chuckled, as did Logan, though he was definitely not in the know. "So," she changed the subject slightly, "there've been enough medical advances...?" she gestured at his leg.

"Oh, not really," Logan hummed and then shook his head. "The procedure I underwent was run out of a back room, dark alley sort of place. Very expensive, no guarantee to work. It was technically illegal here in the United States, but the doctor had had very good results with it overseas. Like I said," he offered softly, "I wasn't in a very good head space, when I..."

"I understand," Buffy hastened to assure him. And she certainly could. Walking was such a simple function about life that people took for granted. She knew that losing something like that could be devastating. Like when the Council had ordered for her to undergo that Cruciamentum test when she was eighteen. She had been stripped of her powers and while that seemed like a good thing, on the surface, of being a normal girl wanting a normal life, well... Buffy had seen too much, knew too much and cared too much at that point. She had the suspicion that at that age, she'd have still tried to help against the darkness, powers or no. Now however...

"So, the work with the doctor helped," Logan explained, looking a little guilty, a little sheepish. "But then a friend of Max's gave me this exo-skeleton. That's what we call it," he grinned. "Apparently it fell off a stack at this warehouse this guy was working in and when he saw what it was, he couldn't resist."

"He stole it?" Buffy's eyes grew wide again. And she was grinning, just a little. Who knew, her upright, uptight cousin had slip-slidey morals! "From where?"

"Uh, the Department of Defense," Logan admitted quietly. Buffy blinked a few times and then raised her arm in the air, fist clenched.

"Viva la revolution, huh?"

It made her cousin laugh and then he began explaining how the whole thing worked. Buffy looked with just the most minor interest as he showed her the servo-motors that were connected to motion pads and electric impulse points that relayed his muscles twitches down the line and with help, he was voila, able to walk. It was amazing to Buffy and she grew sad when she realized that Willow would have been all over the thing, asking all sorts of questions. Logan seemed to realize immediately the change in emotional climate. He asked and Buffy shook her head.

"I was just thinking that Willow would have loved this thing," she explained. "She was always very good with the computer stuff."

"Well, there's not much I can say," Logan sighed, leaning forward to reach out and pat one of her hands. "You know, even with most of your friends being... gone, well, you still have people that love you and care about you here Buffy."

"I know," she nodded and tried to smile, but then recalled Max's words from earlier. "Actually," she began, taking in a deep breath, "maybe more than I was counting."

"Oh?"

"Max called earlier," she explained. Logan's head cocked slightly. "I was picking up the phone to call Tara and there she was." His head bobbed in a quick, accepting nod. "She was actually calling to extend an invitation."

"Oh? For...?"

"For me... to come over... if I wanted," Buffy shrugged. "Kind of a girls night, when I want."

"Well that was nice of her," Logan sounded very surprised and then seemed to realize it, gave Buffy a chuckled explanation. "Max has never been, um, really girly, or uh," he winced and Buffy debated between letting him prolong his misery of digging himself into a hole or saving him. "I mean, obviously, she's very nice, pretty and well..."

"She said so herself," Buffy added, finally deciding to let him off the hook. "It was more of a hang out at her place, just relax sort of thing. And it was nice. So, if there's ever," she shrugged, feeling awkward to have to bring this up with her now grown up cousin. "If there's ever a night you want me to vacate, I guess I'd have somewhere to go."

"Oh right," Logan's eyes went wide then. "Well, I doubt you'd have to worry about that. Kind of married to my work now. But still, the offer is nice." He ducked his head and then turned back to her. "So, did you get hold of Tara?"

And as simple as that, the subject was changed and plans were made for the rest of the day.


	27. Chapter Twentysix

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-six

_June 1_st_, 2021_

_1:10 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Apartments_

Buffy waited anxiously in the living room, for Tara to show up. She had taken up her position, directly after the lunch that Logan had kindly prepared for them. Again, it was small servings of several things and Buffy had to agree with Logan's newest mindset that this was the way to go to actually fuel her body.

She had spent the morning that had remained after getting in touch with Tara, writing out some things, questions, thoughts, the occasional ramble. And now she was eager to get on with it. When the clock ticked over to one o'clock, she had paced for a little while. But Tara had told her as soon as possible after one and had given her plenty of reasons that she might not be there right at the appointed time. Buffy was grateful for that. Because even if she had been out of the game for a good long while, she still seemed to run the bad things through her mind first. But it was daylight, not the hellmouth and only ten minutes later than the blond witch had said.

And sure enough the doorbell to the apartment rang. With relief, Buffy hurried to answer, even as she heard Logan, in the kitchen, moving this way. He had taken a phone call after he had washed the dishes they had used and she had heard him making plans to meet with someone named Asha to discuss a few things. He hadn't said much more, but intimated that she, Buffy, was in need of a quiet afternoon, so he would meet her at another place. There hadn't seemed to be any protest by the woman and Buffy wondered only briefly if this woman was as devoted to her work as Logan was to his. Or so he alleged.

Buffy pulled the door open and saw Tara's beaming face. She immediately began to apologize for being late as she stepped into the apartment. But Logan was smoothing the way as he came into view.

"Seattle can be difficult to navigate for newcomers," he smiled easily as he took Tara's coat again and hung it on a rack. He removed his own light coat from the same place and pulled it on, before reaching for a file folder that he had placed on an entryway table. "Especially at the check points. Some of the cops take pleasure in hassling guests to our city."

"Well, luckily, I didn't have that problem," Tara sighed. "Just forgot one of them between the motel and your apartment and so misjudged how long it would take to get through."

"Did... did Angel drive you over?" Buffy asked, trying for calm and not quite achieving it. Tara nodded.

"He d-did," she agreed. "He dropped me off and then was going to go back to the motel and he and Cordy are making up a list of books that we might research."

"Okay," Buffy sighed with relief. Angel was away for the moment, doing something that might be useful. She could push back dealing with him for the time being. That was one minor weight slightly lifted from her shoulders.

"All right," Logan smiled as he moved to open the door once more. "I should be back around four," he offered to his cousin. "Feel free to help yourself to whatever you need. I put some supplies in the credenza for you, if you need. And there's plenty in the kitchen if you're hungry later."

"Thanks Logan," Buffy nodded as her cousin headed out the door. She once again caught his unspoken request to stay out of the office. The door shut quietly and they both heard his footsteps quickly fade away. Buffy gave Tara a small smile and turned to head to the living room, picking up her own pad of paper before she shrugged. "Did you want anything? We already ate, but..."

"Oh no, I'm fine," Tara waved her hand gently as she took a seat in the chair adjacent to the sofa. Buffy nodded and took a seat as well. She waited a moment for Buffy to situate herself before she leaned forward. "How are you doing?" she asked broadly. Buffy drew in her breath, ready to respond, but realized that she still didn't know herself. There were just so many thoughts swirling around her head. Questions that may or may not have answers. And Tara might or might not be the person to answer.

"Still kind of headachy over the whole thing," she finally admitted. "Didn't sleep well. But then, with the... and the..." she glanced sheepishly up at the older woman. "I don't sleep much."

"I can imagine," Tara offered softly. She seemed to take a moment and then drew in a deep breath herself. "Buffy, do you want to talk? A-about wh-where you w-were, I mean."

"No!" Buffy's yell startled both of them and she winced, lowering her volume. "Sorry. No. I'd... rather not."

"All right," Tara was quick to soothe. "I honestly think that at some point you sh-should," she stressed in her gentle way. "But if you're not ready, then you're not ready."

"I'm not ready," Buffy agreed quietly, blinking back the tears that had started to gather in her eyes. She fiddled with the paper in her lap and then shoved them onto the coffee table before her. "There's some, uh, other stuff though."

"I can see that," Tara smiled as she tilted her head to take in Buffy's scribblings. "Anything that seemed very important to you? More than anything else?"

Buffy chewed at her lower lip for a moment. And then nodded slowly. "The Watcher's Council," she finally admitted. Tara was nodding as well. "They didn't find me right away. The first time," she admitted. Tara did not seem surprised by that. "I mean, Merrick, my first watcher, he had to watch me for a while to make sure I was the one he was looking for. And then Giles..."

"Are you worried that they'll send someone to find you, now that you're back?" Tara wondered.

"I guess," Buffy shrugged. "I don't know how they do that. And with Faith and then... Kennedy?"

Tara was pursing her lips thoughtfully. "I'm not quite certain how they find the Slayer. I remember Giles saying something about locating potential Slayers and watching them, especially when the current Slayer passes on. From what Giles told me once, every potential that they are aware of has a Watcher assigned to them. You didn't?"

Buffy shook her head. "I guess I took them by surprise."

"Always," Tara grinned. She seemed to be remembering something but it was escaping Buffy at the moment. "Well, I think they also use some spell work to help them locate unknown potentials or Slayers."

Buffy digested that quickly. "So, they could be on their way here already?"

"I think so," Tara winced and settled back in her seat. "We- Angel, Cordy and I went to Sunnydale first. To determine what had happened. That's where we met Pietr Voskovic? The one whose Slayer had died in the Cruciamentum?" Buffy was nodding. "He saw your g-grave."

"So they know I'm back?" Buffy sighed. "And knowing them, they won't react well to that..."

"No, probably not," Tara agreed with a sigh. And then grimaced. "At best, they'll think they're dealing with a former Slayer turned Zombie. But at least there's one thing that hasn't changed."

"What's that?" Buffy asked aloud.

"They've always been... slow to respond," Tara reasoned out. "I... don't think Mr. Voskovic was ordered to Sunnydale. I think he was drawn there somehow. So he'll have to report, they'll send in teams to make assessments on what happened and then when they've made their determination, then they'll have to find you."

"Or," Buffy decided morosely, "they can just do their little spell and find out I'm an active Slayer and they'll come right to me. I don't want them here," she groaned, her head falling into her hands.

"The Slayer," Tara corrected gently and Buffy's head popped up, her eyes questioning. "Wh-when you died, the line had already reverted to Faith and continued th-through her. Then Kennedy and on to Pietr's Slayer, Tania. Wh-when she died, I... well I think that you came back and were called in that moment."

"So it's back down to me?" Buffy offered quietly, with a small nod. "I think, somehow I knew that." Her arm flopped down to the sofa arm. "So it's back to them being able to come right to me with their one girl speech and blah blah destiny, blah blah duty."

"Yes, I think it goes something like that," Tara chuckled, well used to this side of her old friend. "How do you feel about that?"

Buffy glanced at her friend and shook her head. Suddenly she felt as if she should be laying on the sofa and Tara should be 'hmming' at everything she uttered. And maybe scribbling startling revelations on a notepad. She shook away the thought. Her friend would never treat her like that, even if it felt like she was being treated like that.

"I don't know," she finally sighed. "I can't... I was thinking earlier, when I was talking to Logan, we were talking about how our lives were different from when we were kids, things that had happened to him since. Did you know that he...?" she stopped short, wondering if she were betraying a huge secret on Logan's part. It had taken him a while to tell her that he'd been injured on such a devastating manner. But then she decided, Tara would not treat Logan differently, especially as he'd found a manner to deal with his hanidicap.

"He what?" Tara prompted gently.

"He was shot," she admitted and Tara's eyes widened only slightly. "In the back and was told that he'd be paralyzed for life. He has..." she frowned again, "mechanical assistance to help him get around now. But the thing is, he was talking about how depressed he was," not that he'd actually said so, but it was an easy enough thing to see and imagine. "Losing such a vital part of himself. And it reminded me of the test."

"The cruciamentum?" Tara clarified. Buffy nodded.

"I lost my powers," she murmured. "And on the surface, that seemed like a good thing. But I had just..."

"Seen too much by then?" Tara finished for her and Buffy shrugged one shoulder.

"I was devastated by the thought that I couldn't do anything to keep people safe," Buffy admitted. "That I couldn't keep my friends, my family safe."

"That's always been a driving force with you," Tara noted, though not harshly.

"And the thing is," Buffy sighed. "Logan pointed out to me, that even with all I've... lost, I still have people, family and friends that care about me. How could I go on, having the power, the abilities that I do, and not do something? But... I'm just so tired," the words were weak, thought the sentiment behind them were not and Tara instantly scooted herself forward to physically comfort the girl. They sat like that for a moment, no tears or words, until Buffy was able to sit back, in control of herself once more. "I think I need to be out there."

"Okay," Tara accepted that calmly. "But there's a problem?"

"Several," Buffy noted dryly. "Just off the top of my head, Logan and the others don't know about me. And I don't want them to know. I've been down that road. It's too hard, too dangerous. And the Watchers? I don't want them around, but I need some sort of guide. I want you here, but you have a life back in Los Angeles. And Angel. I don't know..."

"Plenty on your plate," Tara agreed. "Ummm, I think that I'm not going to be able to help you decide on those first few, but as for Angel and I? We'll deal. We may have to pound it through Angel's head that he's got to back off and wait for you to come to him, if and when you're ready. As for myself, Buffy, this is important too and I'm happy to say that my business is in good hands. If you need me to stay, I'll stay."

Buffy, tears gathering in her eyes again, too fast to blink back, said softly, "I need you to stay. Please. I don't know if I can do this..."

Tara responded as she always did. Scooting forward, gathering the girl up and offering the strength she did have, as she stroked Buffy's back and soothed, "of course. Of course!"

Logan sat at Asha's table as they pored over the information that Asha had garnered through her position in the so-called terrorist group, the S1-W. It wasn't about terrorism, more about revealing the hypocrisy of the government and their many branches of ineptitude. Mostly the sector cops.

"So this girl? The one staying with you" Asha began as she regained her seat, offering one of the glasses of water that she had brought, to Logan which he gratefully accepted. He was sort of regretting having mentioned Buffy, since he was quite sure that Asha, who'd had a tough time accepting animal/ human hybrids from Manticore, would have an even tougher time with a cousin resurrected back to life twenty years after her death.

"Buffy," he offered, frowning as he thought what could be an acceptable story to give the woman who was an old and dear friend.

"Buffy," she smirked slightly. "She's your family?"

"My cousin's daughter," Logan announced suddenly. "Did I never mention her. My cousin, I mean?"

"Not that I recall," Asha pointed out archly. She fingered one slip of paper as she tried unsuccessfully to hide her curiosity.

"Hmm," Logan nodded, trying to affect a casual air. "Well, Buffy died when I was young," and then he winced. "Buffy..." he forced a chuckle. "The current Buffy, was very young and of course, we didn't know about her. When I found out recently that she was alive, and had lost her home and everyone she cared about, pretty much, well," he shrugged, "what could I do?"

"So you went and got her and offered her a place to live?"

"Yeah," he nodded, like it was no big deal. And in some ways it wasn't.

"Logan," Asha whined until he glanced up at her. "That's just... so sweet!" He grinned slightly at the admiration in her eyes. The blond leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, work seemingly forgotten. "What's she like?"

"Just like her mom," Logan smiled fondly and then cleared his throat. "Actually, she's been... pretty traumatized, with everything that's happened. Losing everything, and she doesn't remember me, of course. I guess the family tree wasn't that big a deal. But she's... dealing."

"That's good," Asha nodded, a little breathlessly. "Is that why you wanted to come over here today?"

"Yes," he agreed and then straightened, a little stiff. "That's not a problem, is it? I mean, Buffy was having an old friend over, a woman she knew a long time ago that's been helping her with things. I just thought it was better..."

"Not to have strangers invading the only safe place she has right now?" Asha asked, bemused and Logan nodded at her insight. "That's probably the right call. Okay," she muttered, as if to herself. "Note to self, call before just dropping in."

"I think that'd be the prudent way to go," Logan agreed mildly. Asha threw him a smile and pulled some of the papers they were poring over to herself and started reading. Logan just barely avoided letting out a sigh of relief. He'd have to remember to mention this story to Buffy, and the others. It was a good enough cover story, especially to those not in the know about the extent of the strangeness in his life.


	28. Chapter Twentyseven

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 13 (for now)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

A/N: A couple things here. First of all, I could not find a listing for Joyce's birth or death dates. Due to the airing date of the "The Body", one could make suppositions about the date of her death, obviously. But I was more interested in the other for reasons apparent in this chapter. Second, there was a recent review that was anti-Angel. While it may have come off as Angel showing up at Logan's apartment, acting like a jerk, I feel that this course of action would be true to his character. He and Cordy appear again in this chapter and while the "promise" that he speaks of was never verbalized in the Buffy Season 5 episode, "Forever", it is to that time and support he offered to Buffy that I was writing about. Well, let's get on with it!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-seven

_June 1_st_, 2021_

_3:41 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Apartments_

"So I guess that's decided," Buffy sighed. Destiny, duty, darkness. The big three D's all ready to weigh her down again. She had spent the afternoon talking with Tara about the resumption of taking up a Slayer's duties. Tara had explained before about how Willow had stopped the hellmouth in it's tracks. The cessation of demons coming to Sunnydale had in turn caused a minor influx in Los Angeles, which was apparently their preferred hot spot on the West Coast. Giles had some time ago, passed on information to Tara and the others that the hellmouth seeded in Cleveland, Ohio of all places, had begun to grow. It never reached the proportions of the Sunnydale one though.

Tara explained that there had been a thorough study of it, done independently, by the Council, a coven of Witches out of Devon, England as well as other sundry groups. The most popular theory was that with the Sunnydale hellmouth still in existence, the Cleveland demon hot spot was just not able to draw enough dark power to grow. And then, there was the puzzling admittance by Tara that demon activity never went up proportionately, like it did with Sunnydale. The demons were around, of course, which Buffy could attest to, but they had to be hunted down by the Slayer. Yes, there were a few demons that came out of the woodwork at various points, to be beaten back by the Slayer and the Council. But they never did see the numbers like Buffy had.

She had also admitted that her contacts only covered North America, England and a few places in the southern hemisphere. Buffy had pointed out that probably, the Slayer was called where she would need to be. After all, the last Slayer had been Russian. Tara had agreed with that, both of them falling silent as they realized this meant that the war was being brought home again.

Finally, noting that Buffy was starting to drag, Tara had started to gather up the papers she had been scribbling on.

"You'll be heading out tonight, then?" Tara clarified. Buffy nodded tiredly.

"I've been feeling some vibes here and there," Buffy nodded. "You're going to get me the map of Seattle's cemeteries so I don't have to ask Logan? Sector checkpoints are going to be a nightmare."

"Well, I was thinking," Tara sighed. She didn't like doing things this way, but Buffy's job required many sacrifices. A normal life was just the surface of it. Buffy sat quietly, waiting. "I can help out a little with that. I can create a glamor for you that would allow you to slip around unnoticed. I don't know if Logan mentioned, but Seattle does have a curfew occasionally. I don't know if it's at whim or because of civilian unrest, political problems or what..."

"He had mentioned it a few times," Buffy nodded, rubbing at her forehead. "To be honest, I was just thinking of sneaking and creeping where I had to. But the first time I get busted, the consequences are pretty hefty." Tara nodded. Buffy chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment before asking quietly, "what's the price?"

Tara understood instantly. "It's not something you could use all the time. Buffy, glamors can be dangerous things because it gives the user a sense of power, of freedom, that they can do anything because no one sees it."

"Like Faith," Buffy murmured and then sighed. "And Marcy." Tara was unfamiliar with the second name, not knowing that Buffy was referring to a girl from Sunnydale who had believed herself so unnoticed that she had literally become invisible. And she had wreaked her own vengeance until Buffy had stopped her. And people came, people in the know. Hmm, yet another thing to wonder over, but... She steeled herself and regarded Tara again. "What about if it's used sparingly?"

"It might be all right for a while," Tara sighed. "The thing I worry about though, is that in... in the m-mindset you're in n-now..."

"That what?

"That you actually will disappear..."

Buffy couldn't argue with that. She stared down at her lap for the longest time. "Then maybe we'd better come up with something else." Tara seemed to breath a sigh of relief at that decision. But Buffy was already forcing herself onward. "Tara? Aside from the sector cops, who can come and go as they please around the cities?"

Tara blinked a few moments at that and stopped gathering up the papers before her. "Well, anyone in government, I suppose. There are special rules and allowances made for... What were you thinking?"

"I need identification," Buffy noted. "Logan was able to secure me with a guest pass for the city. But he was told that once my real identification is in, from California, to take it down to the courthouse so that I can be registered as a resident."

"We'd be able to help with that," Tara nodded, seeming to pick up on the idea. "Angel, well, he has contacts who do that sort of thing all the time." Buffy frowned deeply and then shook her head. So much had changed in so long a time. Of course. But it would make sense that the former Vampire knew his way around obstacles such as he must have faced at some point in his life or other.

"Do you think that you... he'd be able to get me some sort of... official, um something or other?" Buffy winced. She had no clue what position she could attain that would allow for what she wanted.

"Um Buffy," Tara interrupted, waving one finger impishly, "we could go military," she suggested with a little laugh. "You know, Riley mentioned once that Professor Walsh did assign you a rank when you joined the Initiative."

Buffy's eyes went wide. She had completely forgotten about that. But then she was shaking her head. "Oh no!" she groaned. "I don't want to be involved with them again. Once was enough. More than enough. Topped out on the enough o meter on that one."

Tara was laughing still. "No, of course not," she agreed with that assessment. "But Buffy, I know some people that owe me some favors. I think I could get your rank back, enough that you wouldn't be questioned on your comings and goings. If we went with special forces..." she mused and then grabbed a pen and her paper and started scribbling again. "And it would be legitimate, or enough at least..."

"Except for one thing," Buffy sighed and Tara glanced up at her. "Technically I'm dead. Hard to provide a dead woman with papers."

"Maybe," Tara grinned happily, "but with a little ingenuity and some out of the box thinking..." She tilted her head to the side contemplatively. "How do you feel about giving birth to yourself?"

"Would I get a new birthday?" Buffy shot back instantly and then looked surprised at herself. Tara, remembering some of what Willow had told her and what she had seen for herself, realized the horrible memories that that day would carry for her.

"What day would you like?" She asked gently. The corner of Buffy's mouth lifted sadly, not a smile, but the closest thing she could manage at the moment.

"May Twenty-second seems like the logical choice," she sighed, "but..."

"That does seem a little... I mean Theodore Kaczynski's birthday as well and those terrorists," Tara agreed, wincing, as Buffy looked completely lost and she realized she was referencing events and groups that Buffy would have little to no context for. But she quickly rallied. "It can be any day you want. One that means something special to you."

Buffy smiled softly then as she glanced at her friend. "If I could chose, then it would be June 5th."

"Any particular reason?" Tara asked gently, something about that day pricking at her mind. And as soon as Buffy said it, she remembered.

"Mom's birthday," she announced and Tara nodded.

"The perfect day," she agreed. How could she have not remembered? She had spent so much of the burial service for Joyce, staring dumbly at those numbers, remembering her own mother's epitaph. The same and yet different. "Okay," she sighed, shaking off the memories as she made a final note on her paper. "I'll have Angel start working on this."

Before Buffy could reply, they heard someone at the door and both blond heads turned in that direction. Buffy had tensed, Tara noted, but as soon as her cousin's excited visage came into view, she let out the breath she seemed to be holding.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he pushed the door shut behind himself, including Tara in his greeting. "I'm glad I caught you still here," he offered. Tara perked up a little, even as she hurriedly gathered the papers that were still strewn over the table.

She was shaking them down into a neat pile as Logan set his file folders down and began to shed his jacket. As soon as he had hung it up he moved into the living room to join them. "I hope you don't mind me butting in here..." he began but both females were shaking their heads.

"We were pretty much done," Buffy informed her cousin. Tara nodded her agreement.

"Okay," Logan let out a small huff of air and looked slightly guilty and Buffy had to keep the frown from her face. She knew immediately that something was up. "Well, Buffy, my friend Asha was asking about you," he began without much explanation. Aside from the fact that she knew the woman to be Logan's friend and someone he obviously worked with and now Tara knew about as much. "Not anything bad," he hurried to explain. "She was curious and I'm sure it's occurred to you as well, but we sort of do need a story to explain you being here."

Tara and Buffy shared a look, one raising an eyebrow and the other shrugging. "What did you come up with?" Buffy asked of her cousin. It wasn't particularly Tara's place and they all knew it.

"Well," Logan frowned slightly. "It was very much off the cuff, but I told her that you were my cousins daughter that I had no clue about until very recently." This time both women's eyebrows went up and Tara chuckled softly. When Logan turned to her, she shrugged again.

"Buffy and I were just discussing that very idea," she told him and Logan smiled.

"Great minds, I guess," he offered, a little tongue in cheek. "Asha believes that you were named after your mother and you were so alike that I just naturally started calling you Buffy, which could work, if you don't mind."

"That actually makes the most sense," Buffy sighed. "And what with Max and Alec telling people that I lost everything in a fire..." she trailed off as the others nodded. Logan rubbed at the back of his neck, leaning forward slightly in his seat.

"Asha also believes," he began and then switched tacts, "I pretty much led Asha to believe that everything that happened before I found you was pretty traumatic and that at this point, you just need quiet and a safe place to rest and recuperate."

The smile that she offered was tremulous and didn't reach her eyes, but she swallowed heavily and said, "you're not wrong there."

The three sat quietly for a moment until Tara glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Well, I should get going and see how Cordelia and Angel are going on their list. It'll be too late to call my friends about the identification, so I'll do that first thing in the morning."

"Oh," Logan murmured and glanced between the two. "I was actually already working on that."

The two women shared another conspiratorial glance that was not lost on the lone male in the room. And then Tara smiled gently. "That's what Buffy had said."

"Not that I don't, um," Buffy tried to figure out just what she could say, without having to explain why Tara would be providing the specific identification that she would, "appreciate that, but..."

"I actually have a lot of details that I can provide, which will help to make everything more authentic," Tara spoke swiftly, covering for her friend. Logan's eyes widened slightly and then he half smiled.

"You're not going to try any... um... witchy stuff with it, are you?" he winced at the last, realizing that his words could be construed as offensive and that was not how he had meant them. But Tara was shaking her head.

"I'd actually be calling in a favor from a gentleman in the military," Tara explained, her eyes darting to Buffy, who was sitting quietly, seeming to absorb the information again. "He's... aware of m-more esoteric m-matters," she stammered slightly, as the lie forced it's way through. If Logan wondered, he didn't comment. Just nodded and then smiled a little.

"Well, anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated," he mentioned in way of thanks.

"All right," Tara nodded and stood from her seat, taking the papers with her. She turned to her friend. "I'll let you know about what we talked about and about the i.d., and let me know when you want to get together again. If you need anything, call me." Her look was pointed and Buffy realized that Tara was trying to offer her help in other areas. Areas that Buffy wasn't sure that she wanted the woman being involved in. Such as the Slaying she had planned on for the evening. Buffy nodded tiredly. It was all starting again and she already knew what a drain it was going to be. There were so many 'if only's' swirling around her mind that she didn't know where to start.

The three of them made their goodbyes and Tara slipped out the door. Logan excused himself to put his work away in the study and Buffy remained on the sofa, wishing that she had been able to remember to ask Tara for a good excuse to offer her cousin about why she might want to go out walking after dark in a city that had arbitrary rules about just that thing.

_4:18 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Bedouin Breakfast Motel_

"What do you suppose is taking so long?" Angel wondered aloud, yet again, as he paced the confined area. His wife of over a decade sat on the far bed, gingerly leafing through a six year old magazine that had been left carelessly by occupant and staff.

"Talking," Cordy answered succinctly. "Although I doubt it's about current fashion or the latest hygiene tips, there's a lot of ground to cover. Tara said the other night that they barely scratched the surface of what happened to her closest friends and family."

"I know that," Angel half snapped and then cringed. He knew that he was behaving abominably towards his wife and her feelings. Cordy's understanding only ran so far. He knew her well enough that the slow methodical turning of the pages was a clear indication that she was not pleased. Whether it was with him, with something else, this whole situation or another matter entirely was not one he cared to decipher in the moment. Either she'd bring it up in her typical blunt way or there'd be an explosion of some kind. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he preferred to happen. Maybe not to have to deal with it at all?

"You know what I'm wondering about?" Cordy announced then and Angel paused in his agitated movements around the room to assess her mood. But she did look thoughtful. He waited. "That girl. Max? Remember back then?" Angel nodded. Some of his older memories of life the first time around as a human and his early vampire days were dim to him, but he did remember when they had encountered the girl in a back alley in Los Angeles. "What was the theory we had? That she was a potential slayer?"

Angel nodded tiredly. "I'm sure that there could have been all sorts of explanations about how she handled those Vamps. But it did seem to fit. If she'd been found and trained from an early age."

"But weren't potentials completely normal girls until the Slayer died?" Cordy wondered, her lip twisting up slightly as she squinted at her husband, trying to recall information that had long ago lost it's relevancy to her life.

"As far as I understand it," Angel nodded. "But then, there's been tons of examples of what even ordinary people can achieve if you start young enough. Mathematical prodigies. Music prodigies," he rambled a little and then shrugged. "And if you don't tell a child that they can't do something, they'll do it just because it doesn't occur to them like an adult. You know?" Cordy raised one eyebrow but then nodded.

"And she was pretty small," Cordy pursed her lips for a moment. "Probably didn't weigh much over ninety pounds, if that."

"What does that have to..." Angel began to ask and then shook his head. "Never mind. Cheerleading 101, right?" he grinned at his wife and she nodded slowly, an impish grin lighting her eyes.

"Okay," she declared as she threw the magazine on the nightstand and then patted the free area of the bed. "Now come and sit down and tell me what you're thinking."

Wishing it could be that easy, he slowly made his way too her. He had learned long ago not to argue when she was in a mood like this. And there had been times, several even in recent memory that this, her taking control of the direction things were going, had worked out better than if he had been left to flounder on his own. He settled in close to her, their legs bumping together and lifted her closest hand to entwine it with his own.

"I can't..." he began but Cordy held up her free hand.

"Just pick one and we'll go from there," she instructed. He nodded, fidgeting. And then sighed. What was important? What was most pressing? And what would hurt his wife the least? And, deciding swiftly, he stilled once more.

"There was no closure," he spoke quietly. "I know that I was dealing with losing her. You know that. I figured out that life goes on. That things would eventually get better. And they did. But I'm... disappointed? I guess. I made her a promise that I couldn't keep. I knew, deep down, that being the Slayer, she... wasn't meant long for this world."

"And it happened much sooner than you thought," Cordy noted without pressing the point too hard. "Sooner than we all thought. She seemed pretty indestructible."

"Yes," Angel agreed. "I just thought..."

"That you'd be there to ride in and save the day, if she really needed you to," Cordy finished for him and he smiled gratefully at her, that she knew him well enough to articulate what he couldn't. With a hard sigh, he let his head fall back against the headboard.

"Through all the years," he offered, "I always had this thought, that if Buffy could see me, if there was just some way that she knew, that I was trying to make a difference, that I was working any way I knew how, to redeem myself, that she would approve. That she'd be... happy for me."

"Which is completely normal," Cordy condoned.

"But I've made some choices at the same time," Angel sighed. Cordy was nodding slowly, seeming to stare off into space. "There was consequences to them all. But at the same time, I rationalized a lot of things... in my own mind."

"And there you were thinking that at least Buffy couldn't see how low you...?" she didn't finish the question, but neither needed her to. Angel was nodding now.

"And now she's back," Angel continued. "I thought that dealing with her death was the end of it, for the most part. It should have been."

"Do you have regrets?" Cordelia asked quickly, not sounding the least hesitant or worried about what her husband might tell her, but he knew that she was.

"You know I always have regrets," Angel countered. "But not about what happened with us to lead us here, all things with Buffy aside."

Her voice was much quieter when she spoke up again. "Do you feel like you should have regrets?"

"I think that's the crux of the matter," Angel decided. "I regret things that really don't matter in the long run, because I'll never be able to change them. I can try and atone for the things I've done that have hurt other people. But it hurts to think that with the promise I made her, after her mom died, that I'm not going to be able to give her the responses that she'll need, because too much time has passed. I've changed and..."

"And what?" Cordy prompted gently. In truth it hadn't been long since Angel's last journey of introspection, but she had grown used to that with having first a Vampire with a soul as your life partner, and then a human that had learned to tap into the sensitivity he'd learned with that very soul.

"I was going to say that she hasn't," Angel inhaled deeply, looking angry and sad at once and Cordy couldn't deny those feelings either. "But I think that's the problem. She's changed. It's obvious to anyone with eyes. I spent four earthly months in hell, a hundred years there. It changes you in ways that you can't imagine Cordy."

"And she spent twenty earthly years," she murmured, a tear rolling from the corner of her eye as she rested her head against her husband's shoulder, wrapping her free arm around her bicep. "I can't even do the math," she cried out softly.

"So how do I do it?" Angel questioned, of himself, of her, of the powers that controlled their destinies, of no one...

"How do I keep my promise?"

A/N2: There was a reference in here to the date May 22nd. Buffy fans will note that it is on Buffy's headstone as her date of death. It is also a throwback to a Dark Angel Season 1 episode "Prodigy". In it, Max rescued a boy that had become a prodigy due to scientific and medical intervention; from a group of terrorists. The group, known as the May 22nd Movement, based their agenda after Theodore Kaczynski, aka The Unabomber and his anti-techno-state sentiments. The name of their group was taken from Kaczynski's birth date.


	29. Chapter Twentyeight

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 15 (for a little language)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-eight

_June 1_st_, 2021_

_6:18 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Fogle Apartments_

"Did I tell you that I picked a new birthday," Buffy offered quietly. Her cousin, who, despite being taught that it was bad manners to do so, had brought the newspaper to the table with him, quickly glanced up at her announcment. Buffy had not minded his behavior. At least that way he was too busy reading, instead of trying to engage her in uncomfortable conversation. Especially over why she still only picked at her food.

It wasn't that the food wasn't delicious. She was sure that it was. But it was still difficult to work up any enthusiasm about anything. And it seemed the more she tried to bolster herself, the harder it was, the further away that goal seemed. Until it got to the point where she could barely be bothered to try.

"Uh, no," Logan replied hesitantly, looking a little lost as he lowered the paper slightly. He seemed to realize that he was staring and quickly dropped his glance to his plate. He had made a linguine with white sauce and more mushrooms, since there seemed to be an abundance of them in the market lately. "I don't think you said anything about that."

"Okay," Buffy sighed, toying with her own food, then picking out a slice of mushroom that was well coated with sauce. It went down easier that way. "When we were talking about that whole new identity thing. Obviously having the same name as myself and the same birthday would be pretty fishy, don't you think?"

"It would be in some quarters," Logan agreed mildly, interest in the article that he had been reading, suspended for the moment.

"Well, Tara and I discussed a few dates," Buffy explained, leaning forward to place her arms on the table, dropping the pretense of eating for the moment. "I mean, obviously, the day I... well, she said there were some other things that made it a bad day. A day that wasn't all that great. But I still wanted something... familiar."

"Did you find a day you'd be comfortable with?" Logan asked kindly, with a small smile.

"Um, June fifth," Buffy replied and saw that her cousin realized the connection immediately.

"Aunt Joyce's birthday," he nodded. And then turned his head to look at the calendar that he had hanging in the kitchen. "Okay, that's completely workable."

They were quiet for a few minutes until Buffy for some reason, felt the urge to fill the silence. "I'm surprised you remember Mom's birthday," she began, but didn't go further when she saw Logan give a shake of his head.

"I only remembered it because...," he tossed the newspaper aside completely and pushed his own dinner away from himself. "To be honest, when we got to Sunnydale?" he waited for her to nod and adjusted his glasses before looking to her again. "The first thing I did was go to her grave."

"You did?" Buffy was surprised, though perhaps she shouldn't have been. Her brow furrowed slightly. "Was it...?" she began to ask and then quieted. Logan gave her a sympathetic smile.

"It was... strange, being back there," he mused, curling his fingers slightly as he rested his jaw against the palm of his hand. "I hadn't been since Aunt Joyce's funeral. The grave stone has held up surprisingly well for it having been there so many years."

"I suppose it was covered with weeds," Buffy sighed, grieving still over her loss, bowing her shoulders under its considerable weight.

"Actually," Logan sounded almost annoyed, "it wasn't." He paused and when Buffy glanced up at him, startled, he tilted his head and regarded her with a look that told her he had thought of something of importance. "There weren't any weeds on or around Aunt Joyce's grave."

"So..." Buffy tried to follow, but her mind was still feeling foggy.

"There were on the others," Logan gesticulated pointedly, excitedly. "But Aunt Joyce's grave, it was completely cleared! Buffy, someone had to be taking care of it."

_Dawn!_ Her mind cried in response, but she was able to keep herself from yelling it out. It was the most logical explanation there was. The words were stuck in her throat as Logan went on. "Do you think it's possible that one of your old friends hired someone to take care of the graves?"

"Graves?" she asked, slightly startled at his plural form of the word and at that prompting, Logan looked sheepish.

"Um, yeah," he sighed. "I mean, your grave, um... burial spot, it wasn't exactly over run with weeds either."

"That's... odd," Buffy agreed. She pressed her lips together and then glanced up at her cousin once more. "Tara didn't say anything about it. But she might have. I mean, known, or was taking care of it," she declared. "She wouldn't have brought it up though, I don't think. At least not yet. Or it's possible that A-angel could have arranged for that."

"And since you haven't talked to him yet..." Logan finished for her. Buffy nodded slowly. Maybe, she was pondering, she could use that as an excuse. She mulled the sudden thought over in her mind. Everyone seemed to sense that the confrontation between them was going to be explosive. And she wasn't too sure about that herself. But as she had with Tara, the need to have some privacy to discuss things between them was a motivator for the others to back off and let it be. And Angel, well, if she wasn't up to talking to him, which she was pretty sure she wasn't, at least he would understand her need to get out and patrol the cemeteries and streets od Seattle. Letting her go to do so thought was in Buffy's mind, the thing he would balk at. And his refusal that she was sure would come? It was something Buffy could under no circumstances, allow.

After all, Angel was human now. She had no idea exactly when that had happened, or how. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know. It took Angel most definitely out of her world of Slayers and Vampires and demons to kill. And the other... that wedding band on his most auspicious finger. It took him further away than actually being human alone had. She realized then that she hadn't even noticed if Cordy wore one as well.

And as much as she loved and had loved Angel, she could not be the other woman. Not at all. And not because of any specific reason that related to the world around them. But because it was already hard enough to be in this world without deliberately adding more pain to it. But still... the urge to do some pummeling was there and needed to be addressed.

"Maybe I can ask him tonight," she managed to get out and noted the surprised look on her cousin's face. Logan definitely did not have a winning poker face. At least not when it came to his recently resurrected cousin who was now a decade his junior instead of being his elder. Buffy had a momentary urge that resembled something like a muscle twitch around her mouth, as she thought how Dawn would enjoy lording that over her, that now technically speaking, Dawn was big sis. Or, if Tara got her paperwork through, Buffy's aunt.

"You're going to see Angel tonight?" Logan tried to clarify. Buffy, sighing, returned her attention to her plate, picking up her fork and twisting it aimlessly through the noodles.

"I was thinking that I could try," she murmured. "I think... there's a lot of old issues there. As well as some new ones. And... he needs to see that I'm going to... be okay. Or at least as okay as possible." It was a total line of BS, but her cousin was nodding along, eating it all up.

"Did you want to invite him here?" Logan asked immediately, looking not too sure about the idea. Buffy immediately shook her head.

"I was thinking that maybe he and I," she winced a little, "maybe we could find somewhere else to talk. I don't think he felt very welcome, last time." She didn't bother to voice that it had been she that had made him unwelcome. But then, he had done exactly as she had accused him of and barged his way in when it had been made clear to him that it wasn't the time yet.

"That's understandable," Logan nodded.

"And well, I guess I relate better to him if we can actually do something, rather than sitting around talking," she winced again as another lie rolled off her tongue. But maybe it wasn't such a lie. She had the feeling that whatever she and Angel did end up talking about, she'd need something to take it out on afterwards. Patrol immediately after was starting to look like a better option all the time. "Is it possible for us to find an area to walk around in? A park or something?" she asked carefully.

"There is a park a few blocks away that you could meet Angel at," Logan decided, rising swiftly from the table. "Since it's getting on to summer and kids are out of school, the Seattle PD are more lax with kids gathering there. You probably wouldn't draw too much attention to yourself there, if you want to talk in public like that."

"Okay," Buffy felt herself sagging with some relief. She ate a few more bites of dinner as she watched Logan rummaging around in the credenza. She was glad when he returned to the table and laid a city map between them at the corner of the table. She hadn't been sure how to address that need and was glad that he had thought of it himself.

"Here's where we are," he offered, circling a small city block with a pencil he had grabbed, lightly marking it. He ran his finger down a little ways, to a green block that was marked with a legend key sign, that signified parks and recreation. And then, looking over the map, he found another area that was quite a distance away. He circled that and then wrote something out on a spare bit of paper that he had grabbed as well. He pushed the scrap paper over to Buffy. "That's the approximate address of the park. If Angel can drive over, he shouldn't have too much trouble." Buffy nodded and gestured for the map.

Logan slid it closer to her and she scanned over the immediate area, recognizing the block of the neighborhood Logan had circled, to include Fogle Towers, where they were residing. Her eyes dropped down to the square that housed the Legend key and noted the familiar sign of a Christian cross used to denote cemeteries. There were only a few within the city limits and one not to far off the beaten path by the park he had indicated. It worked out well. Now, to just get Angel to agree to meet her.

"Is there a curfew in effect that I should know about?" she wondered as she set the map down. She was quickly committing the neighborhood street names where her real destination was, in her mind.

"Nine o'clock for school kids and teenagers," Logan answered immediately, "until school let's out for summer, in a few days. And then it'll be pushed back until ten for teens. Regular curfew for everyone else is two-thirty. Mostly because of the bar crowds."

"Okay, I can work with that," she decided. She didn't explain further, but Logan didn't ask. It wasn't like she was going to go hang out at a bar. But she could always use the excuse that she and Angel got to talking and perhaps went for a coffee. They still served coffee at bars right? At least she was pretty sure that Angel would cover for her, should her cousin ask. But now came the tough part of the evening, so far. "I guess, uh, I should call then."

"Okay," Logan smiled kindly and gestured to her plate. "If you're done with that, then I'll just start clearing up." It went unspoken that he was doing so to give her some privacy while she made the call. She thanked him quietly and rose from the table, folding the map up as well as she could. One phone call to make and one very sharp knife to find. Because there was no way that she was heading out into the city without some sort of weapon, aside from her own body, in her stash.

Cordelia Chase- O'Connor couldn't have been more surprised when the telephone that she was sitting next to in the dinky little motel, rang and when she answered immediately, was told by a surprisingly perky sounding Buffy that she was exactly the person that Buffy had been hoping to talk to.

"Me?" she demanded, her eyes shooting to her husband and then to Tara, both of whom were looking at her questioningly. She sat up straight, tossing the magazine that she had paid an insane price for, to the side. She turned her face away slightly and rolled her eyes upwards, towards the ceiling. "Seriously?" It wasn't a disbelieving gesture, but more, to avoid the silent gestures and grimaces she knew her husband would be making at her until he knew who she was talking to.

"Yeah, you. Seriously, Cordy," Buffy sounded a little offended. But it wasn't like they'd been besties in high school, or after.

"Okay," she managed to regain her equanimity rather quickly, but gave no indication yet as to who was on the phone, to the others. "Well, shoot then."

"Well, I was talking with Tara earlier, as I'm sure you know," Buffy began.

"Uh huh," Cordy sighed, already bored with the chit chat.

"And I was thinking that I do actually need to talk to Angel about some things," Buffy echoed her sigh. "But, I just didn't want to be... I don't know." The other woman paused for a moment and then seemed to gird herself. "I thought it was better for you to know what your husband is doing and who he's doing it with. Oh! That sounded wrong. There won't be doing. No doing, just talking. About the past, I mean. You know-!"

Cordy, who had understood perfectly, had to smile at the memories of Buffy and how her mouth sometimes ran away with the words. "So you called to ask my permission?" she prompted.

"Sort of, I guess," came Buffy's reluctant reply. Cordy ducked her chin for a moment, hiding the amusement and fondness that surprised even her.

"Well, thank you," she got out softly and then turned her eyes to her husband. His head was tilted, like he was trying to recapture his old super senses that he had had as a Vampire to eavesdrop on the conversation. "I appreciate that," she murmured. She could hear Buffy's relief like it was a palpable thing over the line. "Would you like to talk to Angel then?"

"Uh, not really," came her prompt reply and Cordy couldn't help the chuckle that escaped from her mouth. She quickly raised one hand to cover her face as Angel took on a slightly hurt look, as if he had guessed at the conversation turn. "But if I'm going to talk to him, I guess there are worse ways, right?"

"Right," Cordy agreed swiftly. "Let me get him." There was a murmur of agreement and she lowered the telephone, covering the mouthpiece with her hand. "It's Buffy," she announced and did not miss the way her husband straightened up immediately, the hopefulness on his face transmuting the usual broodiness. "She wants to talk to you," she directed towards her husband only, not missing the look of concern marring Tara's face. The blond witch had been busily working on something that had come from her and Buffy's discussion that afternoon. Angel and Cordy had gone to get dinner and when they had returned with the take away, she had explained what it was they two women were after. Angel had been in full agreement to help arrange for new identification papers for his old lover.

Angel came forward to sit at the edge of the bed that Cordy had been reclining on, his hand resting on her thigh as he reached for the phone with his other. He gave her an appreciative smile before pulling the phone up to his ear. "Buffy?" he asked.

"A-angel... hi," her voice was quiet. He waited, but there was nothing forthcoming as yet.

"Cordy said you wanted to talk," he prompted. He could hear her breathing, a little heavier than he recalled it as usually being and recognized that she was feeling stressed out. He felt bad about that, of course he did, but she had called him. He tried to remember what the females had been drilling into his head since they had first discovered that Buffy was back from the dead. Patience, patience and more patience. And as Tara had added, he needed to sit back and let Buffy come to him. Well he had, and now it was paying off. Or at least he hoped it would.

"I was actually thinking," she finally responded, "well, I wanted to get out for a bit. So I was wondering if you'd be able to... meet me at the park a few blocks over from here. I have the address."

Angel smiled, memories welling up that he only made minor effort to tamp back down. "Of course I can meet you. What's the address?"

She recited it to him and he nodded. "Logan said you would probably have to drive from the motel you're staying at," she added.

"That won't be a problem," he assured her. He was about to hang up so he could get going, to meet her, to see her again, to tell her what he could, to share with her his triumphs, to comfort her... and he bit at his lip, trying to remember that this wasn't about him, but what she needed. He could tell that she had more to say and waited.

"I-I don't know how I feel about this," she admitted, her honesty tearing at him. He refrained from trying to assure her that everything would be all right. Because honestly, how could it be? "I mean, I just... I don't want you to expect too much," she offered and then after a pause, "from me."

"I understand," he told her at once and felt his wife's hand covering his own. He threw her a grateful look, searching her placid smile. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

"Okay," Buffy breathed out. "See you in an hour?"

"An hour," Angel confirmed and then the line went dead. He reached over to replace the telephone on the stand and then turned to include Tara in the conversation. "We're meeting at a park not too far from her cousin's apartment. She wants to talk, but I don't know."

"Well, if she wants to talk, great," Cordy enthused and Angel detected just a note of dispirit, but at least she wasn't howling at the idea. "Let's get you changed into something unbroody and non threatening."

"Cordy!" he protested instantly. "I don't look broody and threatening!"

"Uh, have you looked in the mirror today?" she scoffed as she nudged at his shoulder. "I mean, I know I broke you of the habit of carrying that pocket mirror around just after you got your reflection back, but I know you Mister Hair Gel, monochromatic wardrobe-!"

"Cordy!" he protested again, though with a laugh that was echoed by Tara. He moved so that she could clamber off the bed, muttering about the navy blue pullover that she had thrown into his suitcase. At least, if not everything, this relationship, truly the most important he had at the moment in his life, was still okay.

_June 1_st_, 2021_

_8:20 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_The Crash Bar_

"Max!" Sketch cried as soon as he spied the lithe brunette climbing the few steps up to the gang's table. "You made it." The cry was enough to garner attention from around the bar, to where a few of the gang had spread out in pursuit of various activities. Biggs and Alec, having noticed Max's entrance the moment the door had opened, like the good little transgenics they were, didn't comment or look too long, just to note where she was. One's eyes lingering a little longer than the other, because the other was busy watching his friend.

Cindy, at the bar, refilling their pitcher with another round, motioned to the bartender for another glass to go along with that. She knew what her friend had been up to between getting off of work and now and in her opinion, Max looked like she could use a drink. The others, Skye at the pool table and predictably, Druid and his date had shown up and the trio were at the pool table that Alec and Biggs had just abandoned.

Max smiled widely for her friend, though she was feeling a little worn out and just a smidgen more stressed. But then, that was pretty usual these days. She took the seat Sketch pushed out for her and unzipped her light jacket to shed. She glanced around, noting where people were and waved at a few. Catching Cindy's eye, she gave her friend and room mate a tight grin. Cindy was on her way back up in just a moment, settling the empty glass before Max before pouring her a generous measure, and then herself before placing the pitcher in Sketch's reach.

"So how's our boy?" she asked, not naming Joshua, because it was just yet another secret that Sketch was not in the know about.

"He's good," Max nodded. "I could barely tear him away from his painting to eat dinner."

Cindy nodded, well aware of the large dog mix transhuman's newest hobby. "He feelin' any betta about things."

Max shrugged. She wasn't sure because Joshua had been getting pretty secretive and not talking as much with her. At least not about anything deep. "He was pretty quiet, but that could have been because he was thinking about how to accomplish something. He wasn't happy about a shade of blue or something."

"Ah," Cindy replied delicately. "And did you get that otha thing done?" she asked, referring to little mini journal that Max had decided to write about her trip down to Sunnydale, California. She had explained briefly to Cindy that Tara was interested in hearing their impressions of what went on the night they got Buffy back.

"Um, not really," Max hedged before grabbing up her glass to take a long swallow. Truth be told, she was still having difficulty writing it. That was something that was not a strong suit of hers. She could describe a situation, from a by-standers point of view, or in a militaristic report style, but neither had been right. She hadn't found the correct frame of mind to convey the things that had happened. Either in person or on paper. Mostly because she had been front and center for part of it. And when she thought back on what she did remember of it, it made no sense to her. At least not the more esoteric parts of it. And that was what she needed to understand before she could share, she was sure. But she couldn't make sense of it without help.

She had thought that perhaps she could just write out the salient points and give that to Tara, but she was quite sure that even a practicing witch would have concern over _'so I was sitting there and then I heard this voice in my head say...'_ It didn't sit well with her at any point.

"What's the problem Boo?" Cindy asked kindly, leaning forward on the table before giving Sketchy a warning glance to not interrupt. He continued to divide his attention around at all the honey's in the bar and what the two females at the table were saying.

"I don't know," Max shrugged, glancing at Sketch as well. "I mean, I'm trying to write out what happened, but it just doesn't... flow. Doesn't feel right, you know?"

"Not particularly Boo," Cindy chuckled. "But den, I ain't writing shit like that since I was in school."

"What are you writing for?" Sketchy asked suddenly. Max sighed, deflating a little, but then shrugged one shoulder.

"My trip to Cali," she offered tightly. "Kind of a journal of what happened. It was pretty..."

"Monumental?" Sketch offered softly, his face kind and Max smiled. Sketch as well as the rest of the Jam Pony crew had totally bought into their excuse that Max needed specific, life saving medical intervention because of her "heart condition". She nodded and was only slightly startled when he reached out to grip her shoulder with a comforting rub. "You shouldn't worry too much. Unless your doctor asked you to...?" When Max realized that she now had an excuse to discuss it with others. She nodded quickly.

"There's the official documentation," she hastily made up as Sketch leaned back. "So no worries there, but he wants to hear my impressions of what was happening. And since neither he or I have time to sit for several hours to talk it over, I told him I'd just write it down for him to look at later." It was an extremely lame cover story, in her opinion, but Sketch seemed to toally buy it, so she ran with it. "Plus, I just wanted to remember some of the details, you know, in case something like this..." she winced because while journaling events of a trip or dealing with a medical crisis sounded plausible to her, there was no way in hell she wanted to ever experience what they had, ever again.

"Cool," Sketch enthused quietly. "So what's the problem?"

"Well," Max harrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest. "A lot of stuff was happening and some of it..." she paused and threw a glance at her room mate who shrugged back, "I was kind of out of it."

"Is that all?" Sketch asked with a laugh. Max threw her hands up helplessly.

"Well it sounds stupid in my head and then I can't write that!" she protested. Sketch continued to laugh. But then he held up a hand.

"Can I give you a piece of advice that I got when I was younger?" he asked with a smile. Max gestured for him to continue. He nodded once, picking up the pitcher to refill his glass. "Let go of your inner editor." The noise that emanated from the back of Cindy's throat made Max throw her a mild glare and Sketch's smile widen. "Seriously," he continued, drawing Max's attention back to himself. "We're our own worst critics. Just write down what you know about what was happening, what you think was happening and how you felt about it. You can always go back and edit later."

"That's true," Max hummed a little. "Maybe. Thanks Sketch," she gave him an appreciative smile as the lanky wanna be photographer sat back in his chair, content with his world.

"You wanna show me appreciation?" he hinted broadly. "You could tell me that Buffy's comin' tonight."

"Sorry Sketch," Max immediately shook her head. "Not tonight." She turned then to her friend. "I told you that I did speak to her this morning?"

"You did," Cindy confirmed. "Didn't get a chance to discuss the details."

"There aren't any," Max shook her head. "I extended the offer and she's thinking about takin' us up on it."

"A'ight then," Cindy smiled. "Wheneva da girl wants. Now, whose up for some foosball?"

"Ya got me," Max accepted immediately, feeling much better with that smallish large detail pushed to the back of her mind. "Let's play!"


	30. Chapter Twentynine

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 15 (for a little language)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Twenty-nine

_June 1_st_, 2021_

_7:35 p.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_The Park_

Buffy walked slowly, having easily found the park that her cousin had been referring to. After their dinner and then her phone call to Cordelia and Angel, she had retreated to her room to prepare for the evening ahead. Both physically and mentally, as needed it seemed, before every undertaking these days.. She had changed into something that she had deemed appropriate for potential slayage. And then had searched the room for possible weapons. There hadn't been much there and Buffy was quite sure that aside from his chef's knife collection that Logan tried to keep in pristine condition, she wasn't likely to find something suitable to what she would be doing.

And he was likely to notice if she slipped into the kitchen and pulled a carving knife from the block on the counter. She had also thought about how just she would try and explain to any sector cops just why she was carrying an eight inch long, concealed kitchen knife. It was for damn sure that she wouldn't be able to carry it in the open. That wouldn't go over well at any point. And it made her yearn almost for the good bad old days when Sunnydale cops just, for the most part, turned a blind eye to her nocturnal activities. They learned quickly in Sunnydale to let most things be when the lights went down.

She figured that she would have to wait for whatever identification papers that Tara manged to scrounge up for her. At least if it was military, then she'd probably have papers stating her right to carry a concealed weapon. Until then, she was stuck with innocuous items that she could easily explain. Such as the chopsticks in her hair that she had brilliantly hit upon. Wanting to put her hair up, she had looked over the rubber bands sitting with the hair brush and comb on the dresser. Grimacing at the damage they would do to her hair, she had realized that she had a perfect weapon to hand, if only Logan...

She had asked, as innocently as possible, if he had any chopsticks. Citing the desire to put her hair up and the reasons why the rubber bands were not a good idea, Logan had winced and hesitantly mentioned the ivory chopsticks set that had been an heirloom inheritance from his father's side. Obviously he hadn't quite cottoned on to the fact that they could be a fashion accessory and since ivory didn't kill anything that Buffy was aware of, she had just blinked a few times. And then had explained to him that ivory wouldn't work, since the slick substance would just slide through her hair. Plain wooden chopsticks were better. The look of relief on Logan's face as he had turned to a side drawer and opened it to retrieve all of his extras, from take-away packs, he explained, could almost have been laughable.

So now Buffy entered the four foot high, chain link gate that marked one of the openings of the playground. She was as protected as she could be, two chopsticks stuck artfully in her up swept hair and another pack of them in her back pocket, covered by her light weight jacket for "just in case". She had tried to keep her mind occupied on the walk over and had met with some degree of success.

Logan had been a little agitated as she had put on her coat and shoes. When she had wondered about that, and asked him, he had simply smiled and said he supposed that he was just a little concerned over her first outing in the city on her own. She had simply told him that it was time. He had agreed and told her a few places to avoid, a few stereotypical baddies to watch out for and if things got too rough, his cell phone number so that she could call him at the apartment. He'd then loaded her down with change so she could use a pay phone. And also, if the sector cops gave her a rough time because of her guest pass, to ask to speak to Detective Matt Sung. Then call him. She had smiled as best as she was able, and then slipped out the door.

As she walked, she wondered how much of Logan's worry was conjecture and how much reality based. She was after all, a grown woman and had been more mature than she should be, by circumstance, for many years. But she was also a stranger in a strange city that was operating in ways that was extremely foreign to her. So she would be foolish to ignore what her cousin said of the city he had lived in all his life and seen with his own eyes, the changes that had taken place.

She had in fact seen some shady looking characters, but Buffy realized that she couldn't judge based on what Sunnydale had been like. Or even Los Angeles when she lived there as a child and teen. She had seen what looked like the bulge of concealed weapons on a few men that had been cruising the streets, close to the corner where there had been a checkpoint station. Luckily, when Buffy, walking as she was, had handed over her ID and explained that she was out for a walk to the park for some fresh air, she had been waved through without further question.

If she'd had any sort of weapon that threw up red flags, she realized, it would have gone much differently. Not that she was the type to carry a gun, unless it was imperative to the job. While she knew that bullets could slow down Vampires and perhaps some other demons, it was always in the back of her mind that any weapon she had, she could lose. And if the bad guy got a hold of it, then she had to be aware of what could happen to her. It had happened... the time she'd been skewered with her own stake.

She winced slightly, rubbing at her stomach where the stake had gone in, the first time in her experience, of a penetrating wound rather than a scrape or cut. It hadn't been pleasant at all and she had learned from that time. She had learned much more than she had wanted in those days. Scanning the area, the park, where about four children of various ages were playing a game of tag, while another watched from atop some monkey bars, Buffy looked for a bench away from them. One was already occupied by what seemed to be attentive parents. There were some well away from the play apparatus', but still in view of the entrance to the park. She supposed that she better wait there for Angel.

Unfortunately, the longer she sat, the worse the trepidation grew at actually seeing him again. She couldn't rightly ascribe why that was. Perhaps because it had been so long? Because he was human now? And wondering how that had happened. She knew she could get answers tonight if she wanted. She was sure Angel would tell her. And married! He had married Cordelia of all people. She had to constantly tell herself that twenty years had passed. Twenty years of feelings and circumstances changing and she hadn't been there...

Look at how much could change in her life in a day. Her old life that was. Just moment to moment and things swirled around her, changing, mutating, taking on new meaning and life as she acted and reacted. And it was brought home to her that things changed just as much, just as easily when she stood by and did nothing. And there were things in her, these emotions and urges, not just from Slaying, things that fought back against that apathy. She couldn't sit by and do nothing.

Especially the realization that she had truly been pulled from...

There was not going to be a surcease from the pain any time soon. Alec had seen to that when he had taken her down from that tower, back in Sunnydale. When he had carried her back to her home and to her cousin. Led her away from that place. There was a question, one of the millions that swirled her brain that she couldn't ask. She was afraid of the answer. The same reason she wasn't sure she could talk at any length with Angel on this night, or any other. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answers. Therefore, if she didn't ask the questions, she wouldn't have to hear, to know...

"Buffy?" his voice was soft, his approach even stealthier, which startled her more than being startled and she whirled around from where she sat on the park bench. Angel was standing about ten feet back, having circled some part of the park to be able to come at her from behind and she wondered briefly, insanely, if it was a habit that had held over from his days as a Vampire. If not, what predilections had he developed that might be as worrisome.

Swallowing, finding her voice suspiciously missing, or under extreme duress that second, she pushed off of the bench, standing to turn and face him. Her hands strayed to the hem of her shirt and tugged at it slightly. The clothes still didn't feel right. Wearing them and there was the fact that this one had belonged to Max. Their shapes weren't the same and she could feel how it was loose in all the wrong areas and not where it was meant to be. Much like how she felt in opposite measures in her own skin.

Now that she was on her feet and aware of him, Angel seemed to deem it all right to move forward, which he did now, slowly, like he was coming at a wild animal. And perhaps in some measure she was one, Buffy thought. Her breaths started to come a little quicker as her pulse ratcheted up a notch. That feeling was familiar. The reason why, was not.

It was the other thing about Angel that scared her. Before, she had always known, had sensed when he was near. Something about his being a Vampire, of course, had touched on her Slayer senses. But she had liked to think that it was the coming together of souls destined for one another. Obviously that wasn't true. Unless he had lost his soul during the transformation from demon to human and she didn't think that happened. After all, Anya had had her soul when she had become human. And she also didn't think that Tara and Cordelia would have been as... comfortable with him if he had lost it.

"You look wonderful," he complimented, and she saw that his smile was much the same as she remembered, with the addition of several crinkles around his eyes. It was so strange to see Angel, older, gaining the physical symptoms as well as the years and wisdom under his belt. And speaking of which... Buffy shook her head a little. "What is it?" Angel asked gently as he moved in the last few feet into her vicinity.

"I-!" she began, but quickly realized that diplomacy was not her strongest suit and her mother's method when she and Dawn were bickering as youngsters, might the best way to go. "You look good too," she returned and meant it. In the way that she was glad he was still around and had at least achieved something meaningful for his life. At least she assumed that being human was meaningful. Perhaps he hated his existence.

"Would you like to sit?" he asked solicitously of her and Buffy realized in that moment that Angel was just as nervous this night as she. She nodded and returned to the spot she had chosen, knowing that there was enough room for Angel as well. One thing that she hadn't forgotten was how large he was overall. Tall, broad shoulders, muscles definitely defined. But upon taking a seat, even looking down at the ground around her feet, she saw that he had left as many inches as possible between them. That was good.

Silence reigned for several minutes around them, even as the muted shrieks of laughter and taunts floated on the air from the children playing. It was like they were in two separate worlds in this small park. Even so, Buffy could not bring herself to raise her eyes.

"I'm glad you called," Angel finally started. Buffy nodded her head once. Given that he had barged into Logan's, demanding to see her, she was certain he was glad of that. Maybe he even assumed that he was forgiven. But perhaps he wouldn't be so sure when he heard the reason behind the call.

It took her several minutes of swallowing and focusing on the minute debris under her feet before she was able to speak. "I... I know what I might have said to you, if it were... before," she began, noting that as he usually did or had in past times, Angel stilled, waiting to hear what might pass her lips. "But so much time has passed, and so many things are different now."

"I know," he murmured, shifting slightly. Buffy wondered if the movement was because he was uncomfortable with her or if it were just a normal by-product of now being human. Maybe it was both.

"I don't," she began again, but what she wanted to say, that she didn't know how to relate to him any more, or to anything else around her, caught in her throat. With a nervous twitch of her shoulders, she turned her head slightly, still not quite looking at him. "You said before, we don't live in each others worlds anymore. Remember?" she prompted softly, but there was no reply. "And I think that's truer than ever."

"Well, not really Buffy," he edged in, leaning towards her. She could feel him moving closer and stiffened. Obviously it was enough to make him stop. That or he was as hyper aware of her as she was of him. "Things are different. I can't argue that. But in some things, it's still the same."

"Things like what?" she asked immediately. "Being human?" was the first thought on her mind. She heard him sigh.

"A major change, yes," he agreed. "And all the baggage that goes with it." She noted that he had his hands together, wringing them slightly and she could just imagine the angsty look on his broody face. And then part of the truth whispered out before she could stop it.

"It hurts to look at you," she admitted and then wished she could take it back as it was Angel's turn to wince. "Not because you're with Cordy," she hurried to assure him. "Though I'm still trying to understand the allure. But she's part of the problem too."

"How do you mean?" he asked, gently, curiously.

"To see you," she began and the words welling up that wouldn't come, were choking again and her head tilted back of it's own accord, her gaze moving from ground to sky. "All of you. The differences, obvious and not so much. Your lives went on. Mine didn't. And knowing that I can't share that. Where I..." she couldn't finish and once again Angel sighed.

"Is that all...?" he began to ask but Buffy shook her head.

"There's so many things," she admitted. "Things I don't understand. Things I understand all too well and there's nothing I can do to change them."

"Being the Slayer," Angel agreed. And Buffy nodded once, shortly.

"I was going to quit," she told him and the startling news, even decades after the fact brought him up short.

"You were?" his voice was flat.

"If Glory, I assume you know the situation?" she paused to question, hedging her glance to a further peripheral, even if she still wouldn't look fully at him. Once again, she sensed more than saw him nod. "If she had her way and Dawn was hurt, if anything had happened to her, I was quitting. Slaying..."

"Was a tremendous burden," Angel supplied. "I remember, Faith... when you were gone, she started to feel it. Not the power, or the freedom she thought it gave her. But the responsibility of being the only one."

"Tara told me a little about that," Buffy murmured. There was silence a few more minutes as the sun continued its descent in the sky. Finally Angel cleared his throat.

"Tara told us that you're still a slayer," he offered. "Or The Slayer, however the line works. So I can only imagine..."

"I don't think you can," Buffy protested immediately and held her hand up just slightly. "Being human and becoming a demon, then human again. I can see the correlation you're trying to draw Angel. But you don't actually have to bear any burdens unwillingly, other than the physical ones that everyone on this earth shares." She noticed him stiffen, offended apparently at her trivializing his transformation. She spoke before he could argue with her. "Yeah, you did some bad stuff as a demon. And you have the choice to make to bear responsibility for that. You don't have to now. You decide what to do with what your conscience tells you. I don't have that luxury."

"Buffy-!" he protested.

"No Angel!" she snapped. "You choose to do good in the world. Or ill. But if you don't, if you turn your back on that, you only have yourself to answer to. I don't have that!"

"Buffy," he cajoled, reaching for her hand, but she snatched it away before he could make contact. "You wanted to turn away from Slaying all the time, and if you still do, then... then there are ways-!"

"No!" her ire broke and she finally turned to face him, wondering if he would see it in her eyes. Rearing back slightly, she knew that he must. "There's something coming Angel. Something huge. I can feel it with every breath. With every beat of this damn heart. Something calling me. And if I don't answer, if I ignore what my instinct, what my calling, Slaying or whatever the hell it is tearing at me... If I don't answer?" She paused, her throat swelling as she gasped suddenly, tears welling in her eyes.

"Buffy...?"

"Angel, it's going to drive me insane."

She found, when all was said and done, that Seattle was quite light on the vampire population. That of course, was because she was consciously comparing it to Sunnydale. The mathematics of the problem, in her mind, were much easier to deal with than to think on what had happened earlier.

As she had expected, Angel had exploded with concern and sympathy masked as empathy, but she hadn't been fooled.

Angel had pulled out all the stops with her, even if he hadn't meant to and Buffy really hoped that he hadn't meant it. The guilt, the psychobabble, it all boiled down to the same thing in her mind. Angel wasn't in control of things, and being that he had been grown, vamped for over two hundred and fifty years, plus another few years of human life, figured that he had seen it and dealt with it all. But he hadn't. No one but another Slayer could understand the burden that came with it. And no one Slayer that had had the additional burden's that she'd had piled on her shoulders, mainly in the form of protecting Dawn, who was more than a mystical glowy key thing... well there was no other Slayer like that. That Buffy knew of. She certainly couldn't imagine that one had been ressurrected after two decades to take up the burden once more.

And she had no way of finding that out. Not, if she wanted to protect herself from more interference and guilt and controlling manuevers, that was. The fight with Angel tonight had just escalated, with her talking, him not hearing her and finally she had had enough. She had told him flat out that she had only used talking to him as an excuse to her cousin to go out an patrol.

She had seen in his eyes, the instant protest. That she was too fragile, too raw, to be back in the fight so soon. When he had begun to voice that, couched in more delicate terms of course, she had rounded on him and demanded to know who would, if she didn't. She was the only Slayer now, that they knew of. Tania, the Russian slayer had died, clearing the way for her resurrection and resumption of the line. He tried to tell her that she wasn't alone, but she knew, Buffy just knew, in her heart and her soul that she was destined to be alone in this.

It was only recalling, by the slight sheen of sweat that trickled down from his hairline, that Angel was now human, that had her checking her strength before shoving him away and running off. It was the only out she had, because if she hadn't, if she had stayed, she probably would have popped him in the mouth for his condescending attitude. It reminded her of the major problem that she had had with Angel, in a relationship and out of it.

He liked control. To take it, to own it, to make the decisions based on his experience alone.

She needed control. To exist within the darkness she saved others from. If there had been times when it had gone to her head, then at least, she tried to console herself, that she had learned from those times and had taken an important lesson with her.

_'You are full of love...'_

The words of the First Slater rang in her mind and she chuckled ruefully as she continued down the alley that she had turned to check out. So maybe she was. It hadn't been enough to save Dawn when it counted. It had been enough to sacrifice herself. But it certainly wasn't a love that would buy her the American dream.

And it certainly wasn't love that had her tearing up the very first Vampires she encountered not far from the park that she had met Angel in. She was glad to see that she had retained something from her old life. It wasn't always welcome, basing her decisions on a warrior's way of life. Looking at routes in the city as battle lines instead of choosing them for their speed to her destination. Looking at clothing for ease of fighting instead of fashion sense alone. Looking at each item around her with it's potential as a weapon in her hand, rather than the aesthetically pleasing nature or not of said item. Looking at people and seeing a herd in need of protection instead of...

It wasn't always welcome, but it would keep her alive. At least until she found Dawn. That was all she could hope to hang on for, right now. And as she deliberately paced her walk to a stroll through the alley, sure that the pulling on her senses denoted another Vampire or two, she was very startled at what she did find.

She made it all the way through the alley without finding any disturbance or sign that screamed 'Vamp hiding here!' Or 'vamp nest through here!' What she did get was a sporadically working street light, a deserted road way and two figures trudging together along the road, until the skinnier of the two called his farewells and turned aside. His friend's head came up and Buffy sucked in her breath, telling herself that it was just good luck that it was he.

Unconscious of the soft smile that graced her face, she took another step, raised her hand and called out, "Alec?"


	31. Chapter Thirty

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 15 (for a little language)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Thirty

_June 2nd, 2021_

_1:48 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Downtown_

Alec had just left Crash with Sketchy in tow. The skinnier male just did not know when to quit. If it hadn't been one thing, it was another. For starters, he'd been bugging Alec all night about calling Buffy and inviting her over, even though Max, Cindy and he, Alec had all protested the idea. Max had even slapped him upside the head and told him that Buffy and Logan were having a quiet cousin's night and to forget about it. The off color joke he made about kissing cousin's did not sit well with anyone and earned him another smackupside the head. From Cindy, that time.

And when he realized that he wasn't going to have the easy pickings of a distraught female just waiting for him to pick up her pieces, he had moved on to trying to pick up anything in a skirt around the bar. Unfortunately for Sketch it was the usual crowd, most of whom could mouth his pick up lines along with him. Striking out, he had returned to Alec to whine about his lack of luck. Playing pool didn't distract either Sketch or Alec for that matter. And the thought of winning the promise of cash next pay day, off of Sketch didn't hold it's usual charm, for the cheerful rogue.

And the alcohol? For someone who was strapped for cash, he certainly knew how to horn in on the pitchers for various tables. Alec suspected that he had prepaid a tab with the bartender so that he could claim the lack of hard cash in his pockets when it was Sketch's turn to pay. It was kinda admirably sneaky, but foolish as well. If it were any other bar, they would have pocketed Sketch's cash and played dumb about the whole arrangement.

And it wasn't like Alec found any surcease from the blond man. Cindy was off with her latest honey and Biggs, the traitorous brat, had whisked Max away to a quieter corner. When Alec had swung by, they'd both clammed up and stared at him, the third wheel, until he quickly took the hint and rose up from the chair he'd claimed. Not like they were talking about anything monumental, that he could see. Biggs was just asking for Max's expertise about where to find certain deals around town. The guy had finally found himself a semi-permanent place and wanted to furnish it with more than cockroaches. Naturally he'd ask a woman about furnishing it, but there were about ten that Alec could list off the top of his head that'd be a better choice than Max.

Huh, and Biggs couldn't even be bothered to invite Alec to visit. See if he'd come over with a six pack to split, now. Shaking his head, he automatically reached out to steady Sketch as he tottered and weaved through the street. They were almost to the guy's apartment building and then Alec could finally be rid of him. At least until morning. He sighed, realizing that he was in a bit of a pissy mood and while it sort of was Sketch's fault, the guy hadn't done it intentionally. And after starting the ball rolling, engaging in his usual buffoonery wasn't meant to aggravate Alec, even though it did.

Alec knew exactly why he was upset. He'd wanted the night off, from the drama and the uncertainty that Buffy's return to this life, his lifetime, had brought. He felt things around her that he didn't understand fully and it didn't sit well with him that it was happening. Or more, that he seemed to have no control over it.

But for all that he resolved he wasn't going to think about her for a little while, there was always something that brought her back to the front and center of his mind. If it wasn't overt things like Sketchy droning on and on about her, which was bothersome, like a gnat buzzing around, then it was other little things. Like riding around during work and seeing some flowers that he wondered if she'd like to brighten her day. Eating lunch and wondering if Logan had hit upon something in his gourmet bend of mind to tempt her appetite.

Even just seeing a blond on the street and taking a second glance to see if it was her, even though she had pretty much holed herself up in Logan's apartment. Some part of him always hoped that it would be her. Just to see if he could bring another shy smile to her face. It was with this thought in mind that Alec decided he was going just a little crazy. Probably an okay kind of crazy. At least a normal every day kind, and not the homicidal slash suicidal type of bend his clone went around.

It was bothering him though, this thought of a special brand of crazy, especially after he said goodbye to Sketch who had veered off to his apartment building. Because after a few more steps, Alec heard his name being called. His head snapped up, recognizing the feminine sound before his mind caught up and he was gaping. Had he conjured a vision of her, just because he'd been thinking so hard about her? He wondered only momentarily before scoffing and dismissing the notion. Because she was alone, at night in Seattle, waving to him, seeming a little unsure, definitely frustrated and he picked up his pace, jogging to her across the street.

"Buffy?" he wondered as she turned her face up to him. "What are you doing down here?" Whether he meant out of the lofty corner penthouse suite or the actual location in the city, he wasn't sure. He glanced around, wondering if Logan had taken her with him for some reason. He actually could believe that the man would do that, if it were important enough to his little Eyes Only missions. Or had the bastard needed the apartment empty and set her to wandering so he could have a meeting of some sort?

"Went for a walk down to the park," she answered, slightly breathless, her eyes darting around now that he was closer to her. Alec mimicked her action, seeing no one of note that he'd have to worry about. But that could change at any given moment. "Saw Angel," she continued and his head whipped around to stare at her. He could see now very faint tracks of the residue of tears on her cheeks and an almost raging haze covered his vision for a moment. He breathed heavily through his nose as her voice went faint and she glanced away. "Had a fight with Angel and left before I kicked his ass," her tone was so matter of fact that it snapped Alec out of the haze and he let out a short chuckle. Buffy raised one eyebrow, as if to entice him to challenge her on her word, but Alec was more prudent than that. At least, usually.

"And you ended up down here?" he reiterated. She nodded and sighed. He waited just a moment and then asked quietly, trying to sound amused and not the worried that he was. "Are you lost?" She regarded him, her lips twitching and then she nodded. He relaxed a little and turned on the sidewalk in the direction that would take them back to Fogle Towers. "Well then, I am most glad to offer my services. If you want?"

"You don't mind?" she asked, bundling her arms across her stomach and falling into step with him. Alec paused just a moment to let her step ahead of him and crossed so that he was on the outer edge of the sidewalk, closer to the street. "If you were heading home, I can just do with directions."

"I was heading home," Alec confirmed honestly. "But I walked Sketch home first. Dude was seriously trashed." Her chuckle was a warmth relief.

"I noticed," she offered shortly. And then rushed to say, "I've been standing on that corner for a little while, trying to figure out what to do."

"Yeah," he murmured and cast his mind around as to what to say next. "So, I'm a bit of a night owl," he explained briefly, without expanding on that. "It's no problem to walk you home. And if I'm tired, I'm sure Logan won't mind me crashing on his couch."

"I'm a bit of a night owl too," Buffy offered in quiet confidence. "Walking around wasn't so bad. Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention right after the... fight." She sighed and fidgeted briefly and Alec wondered...

"Was it anything major or just like...?" he paused to think of how to phase it. But Buffy beat him to the punch.

"It was the same old shtick that I had a problem with when we dated," she explained. "Angel has always thought that just because he was older than me, that he knew best. He..." her mouth twisted sardonically. "He has a problem giving up control and letting other people have some say in what's going to happen."

Alec nodded. Autocratic type. He'd run into that before. Had he ever run into that before. Max was kind of like that. Although she'd had worse days, she had mellowed a little. "I suppose," he mused, "that now that he's lived another twenty years over and above you...?" he left the question open ended, to let her talk. It seemed to be doing her good at least.

"It hasn't helped that bad habit," Buffy shook her head.

She didn't speak further on the subject and Alec was left floundering. They were silent until Alec realized that if she had been wandering all this time, lost, that she probably hadn't been able to call her cousin. And if he knew Logan, the guy probably had his head buried in his Eyes Only work, or was ready to call out the cavalry.

"Hey, was Logan expecting you home?" he began, "or..." he trailed off, unsure how to ask. Her soft chuckle made him grin.

"He didn't explicitly say," she sighed. "Though I was out later than... anyone expected. He's probably wondering where I am." With each word that passed her lips, Alec could see something draining from her. The good mood, if it could be called that being sapped from her.

"Well here," he offered, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. And then realized as she stared at it, her eyebrows raised that perhaps... "Oh come on! I know they had cell phones back in the day."

"Yeah," she scoffed, finally reaching out for it. Her hand was warm where it brushed his skin, the contact, although brief was a relief to him. "Though not this small. Wow. I mean, I saw Logan's, but..." she was turning it over in her hands, studying it intently as they walked. Alec was surprised that he didn't have to steer her around any obstacles.

"And to think," he teased as they paused before crossing a street, "it's not even a top of the line model. Or the smallest that they've come out with."

"Seriously?" Buffy grinned, balancing it in the palm of her hand. "I always wanted one, but really, everyone that I talked to regularly, I was usually around. Or within walking distance of. Or where I had a phone fairly handy. Had a pager for a while."

"So maybe it'd be a good idea for you to have one," he prompted, thinking quickly about where he could pick one up for her. It was probably something that Logan should deal with, but Alec just wasn't convinced that the man was thinking along clear lines when it came to his cousin and her safety. "That way, you'd have it for emergencies at the very least."

Buffy nodded absently as she flipped the cover open and examined it further. "Are they very expensive?"

"Relatively speaking, it depends," he answered. "Logan's number is programmed in. Max calls him often enough and she doesn't have a phone either," he explained. So maybe make that two phones he should look into getting. "Press that button for the contacts."

"The directory?" Buffy clarified before swiping her thumb over the button he had indicated. Her grin faded slightly as she scrolled through and Alec, tried to recall just what he had put Logan's number under. It was a point of safety, secrecy that he listed people under his own names for them, so as not to let information fall into the wrong hands. "Wheels McGimpster?" she demanded suddenly and Alec winced. "Alec! That's horrible!" He cringed, seeing it instantly from her point of view. He chewed on his lower lip, hardly daring to look at her, not wanting to see the condemnation on her face, but she took him by surprise once more and started giggling softly, in fits and starts. Obviously the noise of someone that didn't want to be amused by something so politically incorrect, but couldn't help themselves.

"I know, I know," he mourned apologetically. "I haven't been Logan's biggest fan and I didn't know his last name when I put his number in there. To be honest, I didn't expect to know him for long."

"Ah," Buffy nodded as she pressed another button. "This one?" she asked and Alec glanced to see that she had indeed pressed the right one and the call was going through.

"Yeah," he agreed. Buffy smiled her thanks and put the phone up to her ear. It was obvious when her cousin picked up, even without his extra sensitive hearing. "Logan, it's Buffy. Hey." There was a pause on her end as Alec heard Logan's slightly panicked tone and then she was soothing him. "I'm sorry. I just needed to walk off a fight I had with Angel and I ended up getting lost. Thankfully I ran into Alec and he's walking me home." She listened again and this time, Logan's tone had softened. "I don't know, let me ask." She lowered the phone and turned to ask of Alec, "he wants to know about how long we'll be."

Alec was about to put his hand out for the phone, but realized that it was not exactly rude, but not fair to treat her like a child. Wasn't that what Angel did to her? What Logan was doing? "Tell him that barring problems at the checkpoints, it'll be about an hour walk. Or, we can swing over to my place and pick up my bike. Motorcycle," he clarified, wondering how she would feel about riding on one. Some chicks freaked out about them.

"You have a motorcycle?" she repeated, with a grin. He nodded and when she turned back to the phone, he wondered if it was anticipation of riding it, or a desire to just get home more quickly when she told her cousin, "we're going to swing over to Alec's to pick up his motorcycle. I'm sure it'll be quicker and less suspicious than walking around this late."

She was right about that, Alec knew. As long as she had her identification with her, they should be okay. He always had his Jam Pony id on him. His attention from that potential problem was snapped to her face when she protested lowly, "no!" She bit at her lower lip and glanced briefly up at him. "He seems just fine. At least he was walking straight. Unlike his friend."

Alec had to press his lips together so as not to laugh. Logan knew perfectly well that alcohol was not the kind of problem for him and Max and the other transgenics, as it was for normal humans. For one, their higher metabolism processed the alcohol much more quickly than in others. Secondly, just because Alec usually had a drink in hand whenever Logan had seen him at the bar, didn't mean that he sucked it down like a Hoover. Hell, he'd only had about four glasses of beer that night, and one shot of whiskey over a six hour span. Even an ordinary would be fairly sober. Especially given that they were taking more time to walk to his apartment to retrieve his motorcycle.

"Okay," she was nodding now. "We'll call if there's a problem," she promised. "Otherwise I'll talk to you when I get there." He noticed that she didn't call it home. That was interesting.

But at the same time, totally understandable. She'd not been here long enough to establish a connection to the city or to Logan's apartment. Alec wondered what she would, as a legal adult, decide to do now that she had seen her old flame. He was married, it was true, but these were the people that were familiar to her. Like that Tara chick. They had seemed pretty close.

"So," Alec began hesitantly, "other than your fight with Angel, how was your day?"

"Long," Buffy sighed and gave him a skeleton of a grin. "Tara came by and we talked about some more stuff."

"More stuff," Alec repeated warily. He gestured for the change of direction so that she wasn't surprised when he would be turning and she followed after him easily.

"Identity stuff, actually," Buffy supplied and then leaned slightly away from him so that she could look up into his face. "It's so weird."

"What's weird?" he asked, trying to sound pleasant, but inside, his stomach was twisting and turning. She was looking at him as if studying him under a microscope and Alec had never liked that feeling.

"That you're not more weirded out," Buffy pointed out and the confusion must have shown on his face because she gave him another one of those ghost smiles. "I know I'm pretty... eh, on the sociability scale."

"Oh no," Alec protested gently. "Anyone could, I mean everyone understands, even if they don't know the whole story."

"Oh I get that,' Buffy nodded. "But what I'm trying to say is that I know I'm mostly self involved. With everything happening. And... and you guys have been great, trying to... to..."

"Well, why wouldn't we?' Alec grinned, seeing the thanks she was probably trying to get out, and nudging gently at her arm with his elbow. A friendly gesture, he hoped. "Decent people don't walk away from something that-!"

"But that's it exactly," Buffy interrupted, her voice getting a little higher in her haste to get her thoughts out, so Alec quieted. He wanted to hear what she had to say about this. "I came back from the dead Alec. Most people would be freaking out, thinking I'm some sort of zombie or... or..." her face scrunched up and he couldn't help the grin he tried to hide from her. It was kind of adorable, the way her nose crinkled. Apparently she caught something in his face as she sighed. "But you guys, well Logan freaked a little right?"

"Yeah," Alec muttered wryly. "He had his moments."

"And Max too," Buffy pressed, almost like she was asking for confirmation, perhaps of what she had seen. "I know I was pretty out of it, but until we got to LA, she was kind of... or maybe, no."

"Maybe what?" he wondered. He felt like he could almost follow her thought process, but he wanted to be sure.

"Okay, like I was saying," Buffy shrugged, "there was the whole self involved thing, but when I think back on things, it's like I can, I don't know, detach from myself to see what was going on around me. Does that make sense?"

"It does," Alec nodded, glancing up at the street sign that they were passing. His apartment wasn't too far ahead now. They were still walking at a good pace. "And what was it that you saw?"

Her voice when she answered, seemed relieved. "Logan was freaking out, trying to keep it under control. But Max was too. Wasn't she?" She sounded like she was unsure of that as her face screwed up again. "Because comparing her quietness in the car on the drive and at the motel and then later..."

"Yeah, I guess," Alec nodded and then winced slightly. "I don't know that it was all about you and what happened though." Which might have been an understatement. "Or maybe it was. Did anyone tell you...?" he began to ask, but then thought better of it. She knew three people that had been there and as she had said Logan and Max had been freaking out about it. Max didn't want to talk about what had happened that night, to her, and Logan was focused on fixing his cousin. And Alec knew that Buffy hadn't asked him. But did he want to be the one to tell her? "What happened that night..." he began slowly, gaging her reaction, but she seemed calm, waiting.

"No one ever said," she offered quietly. "But obviously something had to have happened. People just don't come back from the dead. And if they did, you'd think that there would be even more freaking out. But you... you just didn't."

"Oh believe me, I did," Alec laughed truly then. Not just a chuckle or smirk. "That was about the weirdest thing I've ever seen."

"Yet you kept it together?" Buffy pressed. "Or did you? I was pretty out of it right at..."

"Yeah," Alec agreed. "There's my apartment up there." A thought occurred to him and he slowed to a stop. "Buffy, do you really want to discuss this? Because if you do, I have no problem with it. It's just kind of hard to do on the back of a motorcycle."

"That's true," she concurred, hugging herself around her middle once again. "And I suppose we don't have to, if... if you don't want to."

"Oh, I have no problem with it," Alec repeated, assuring her quickly. "I'm just..." he wanted to be honest with her. "Just worried that something I say might freak you out."

"Oh believe me," Buffy grinned, shaking her head, though he could see that it didn't reach her eyes. "I have an amazingly high tolerance for freakiness. I'm just surprised that you seem to as well."

"Well, you never know how you're gonna react until it happens, I guess," Alec conceded. "But yeah, why don't we talk? If you don't think Logan will mind?"

"I'm a big girl Alec," Buffy retorted dryly, but then eased. "But I'll call him again. Maybe tell him we're gonna get coffee or something? Warm up a bit first."

"Are you cold?" he asked immediately, looking her over for signs of chill. There didn't seem to be really any obvious ones and she shook her head in the negative.

"I'm okay," she assured him. "Just that cold knot of dread in my stomach."

"Oh," he murmured and grimaced a little. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

She took a long moment before she finally blew out a breath and then answered him. "I think I do. It feels like... like I'm back for a reason. Like something important. And I need to know why. But sometimes, you can't figure out the why until you know the how. You know?"

"Yeah," Alec nodded with another grin. She really liked going around the word carousel sometimes. "I get it. Well then, let's go up and I'll see if I can scrounge up that coffee for you."

He turned to retrieve his keys from his pocket, since he actually lived in a secure building, unlike Max and Cindy, who squatted illegally in an abandoned building. As he pulled open the outer door, he felt her hand on his forearm and turned to see her staring up at him. There was no pleasure in her eyes, but at least she didn't look completely miserable. Sincerity. That was what was there as she grinned tightly for just a moment.

"Thank you Alec."


	32. Chapter Thirty-one

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 15 (for a little language)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Thirty-one

_June 2nd, 2021_

_2:06 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Downtown_

"Logan," Buffy sighed, her voice sounding just a little harsh now, to Alec's ear as he filled the tea kettle that had been left in the apartment when he had taken it over from its previous resident. He had scrubbed it thoroughly before out of boredom one day and was now glad that he had. He'd have to make coffee the old fashioned way, if that was what she wanted. He had and was still soldier enough that he had collected the basic necessities, even if he didn't use them himself all the time. There was always someone that wanted something, and if he could provide it, well there was already a barter system in place in this city and Alec fit well into it. People demanded and he liked being able to supply.

He continued to listen to Buffy's side of the conversation and didn't bother hiding his ire. As usual, Logan seemed to be making everything about himself.

"No!" she protested. "It's just that Alec and I got to talking and he asked-!" She was obviously cut off by the irritated huffing sound she made. "Just stuff. It's no big deal. It's just a little chilly out, so he offered me a cup of coffee before we leave and-!" She sighed again and began to rub at her forehead. "I understand that it's late Logan." But then her face softened and she looked contrite. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of that. You're right. I'll be right there."

"Whoa, whoa, hold on," Alec was protesting immediately, before he even realized, moving to her side, the kettle still in his hand. He glanced at it and then set it down on a flat surface. "What's wrong?"

Buffy pressed her hand over the speaker to muffle their conversation, pulling the phone away from her mouth. "Logan didn't give me keys to the building. I kind of forgot about having to get back in. I'm so used to living in... in a house that I..." She seemed to shudder, just a little and Alec winced in sympathy. Probably some bad memories or thoughts there. He was about to tell her that it would be no problem for him to get her into Logan's apartment, but quickly rethought it. There was no way that she wouldn't be suspicious as hell about where he had learned such skills and that was a conversation he didn't really want to have with her. Not yet and maybe not ever, even as much as he knew that that would be an impossibility. Who she was, or at least related to and... He came back to himself as Buffy's voice caught his attention again.

"And you have to work tomorrow, right?" she went on. "It's late..."

"Buffy," Alec sighed, his voice soft. He gestured to the phone. "May I?" he asked gently and after glancing at it, she handed it to him. He pressed it to his shoulder as he ducked slightly to look in her eyes. "If you would like to stay and talk, then I have no problem with it. You can take my bed when you're tired and I'll crash on the couch. I'm not worried about work. Normal will understand. But if you really want to get back to Logan's, then we'll leave now. No worries. It's up to you."

She chewed on her lower lip for just a moment, looking disturbed and then glanced at the phone receiver he was holding. "I want..." she began and then ducked her head before admitting. "I just... can't sleep. It's... it's really hard and I don't..."

"Then we'll drink coffee until I ultimately pass out and you can amuse yourself with my collection of dvd's, or music or whatever you scrounge up around here," he teased gently. "I may even have a book or two," he added in a self-deprecating tone.

That got an unexpected chuckle out of her and he reminded himself to just make sure that his weapon was locked up where it was accessible to him alone before he fell asleep. Regardless of how indecisive he was about the future, he still didn't want Buffy asking questions he wasn't sure he could answer.

"Okay," she finally nodded. "Thank you. Again."

Alec just smiled his approval and pulled the phone up. "Logan? Buddy."

"Alec, what's going on?" Logan demanded, his voice irritable and gruff. Alec wondered if Logan had been dozing since that first reassuring phone call Buffy had made to him.

"Buffy just needs to de-stress before she goes to sleep," he informed the other man. "And you need your eight hours. So we'll chat, you sleep, if she gets tired, she can take my bed, I've got the couch. I'll run her home or wherever she wants to go in the morning before I go to work. How's that?"

"Well," Logan spoke slowly, "it's nice of you Alec, but..."

"Don't worry man," Alec chided softly. "She's a big girl Logan and she wants to talk. That's all," he stressed. He knew very well what Cale's opinion of him as a human being, or even keeping in mind his transgenic nature. Too bad Logan hadn't taken more time to figure him out before settling on that opinion. He smiled down at the woman staring up at him, trustingly and he felt that warm sort of glow in his chest again. That dangerously seductive feeling that promised... things. He ignored the warning bells in the back of his mind. This wasn't about him, it was for Buffy. She needed this and if he could help, then he would. "Just trust her. I know you don't always trust me, but she _is_ doing amazingly well here given the circumstances."

"You're right," Logan finally sighed. "I'm sorry, but she's family, you know? There's no way I'm not going to worry about her. Just, maybe try not to get too deep into anything upsetting. I guess that's all I can ask. Even if she is a big girl, she's not like other girls you've known Alec."

Alec couldn't help feeling like Logan was intending something else behind those words as well and knowing what the guy thought about Alec, he was pretty sure that he knew what the warning was of. Especially given Logan's position as Buffy's cousin. The closest thing to a big brother she would have.

"I know that," he assured the other man. "And I will treat her with every courtesy I had drilled into me." He chuckled as Buffy pressed her lips together, looking as if she couldn't decided between laughing at them or taking him to task. "Besides, not looking forward to havin' Cindy kick my ass if I treat Buffy with anything less than the respect I'd give my mother, God rest her soul," he added, his eyes twinkling. Hopefully that would keep Buffy from asking questions about his family. Especially given that his family was a series of test tubes with contributions from God knew which humans and animals that had walked the earth at some point or another.

"Okay," Logan chuckled, sounding relieved. "All right. Good night then. I'll see you guys in the morning."

"In the morning," Alec repeated before turning to hang up the telephone. "Sorry about that," he sighed to Buffy.

"What's there to be sorry about?" she demanded archly, picking up the kettle now and moving towards Alec's kitchen. He followed after her.

"Well, for stepping in and..." he shrugged, running one hand through his hair as he watched her move into the kitchen, filling up the kettle from the sink and then settle the filled pot onto the stove. She seemed comfortable enough now, in his home and he had to push that glowing feeling down again. Watching her warily, he was relieved when she chuckled.

"Alec, that was exactly the point I was trying to make earlier," she explained as she looked over the stove. She reached for the knob to turn on the element that the kettle was sitting on and when that was done, moved away from the stove slightly to turn and rest against the counter as she regarded him. "You see something that needs to be done, you step in and get it done. You... held things together. And you're still doing it."

"Oh," he murmured and then glanced up at her, trying to figure out if she was upset about it or not. "I guess I do. I mean, I don't always. It's just, when it's only a few of us... sometimes things need to be done... I didn't mean to overstep any bounds," he tried to explain, unsure as to why he felt so hesitant about this. But Buffy obviously wasn't suffering the same qualms.

"But you don't," she protested again. "Overstep bounds, I mean," she splayed her hands out before her. "Every single time," she shook her head, "that you've stepped in, with me at least, you've waited. Haven't you?' she seemed to ask of both him and herself. "I mean, I see how you try to let other people resolve things. And then when you do step in, you always make sure it's okay with me first. I..." she ducked her head, clenching her fists minutely and Alec felt like his stomach and heart were preparing to drop in anticipation of her next words. "Not everybody in my world did that. A very few notorious examples tried to just take over everything. But you don't. And I don't think you know just how much I appreciate that. Having someone sticking up for me." She swallowed heavily. "Not what I am, or because I can give them something or do something special, but just... for me." Her eyebrows drew together heavily as she glanced away, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

Alec felt relieved, seeing that she was at least slightly appreciative of the tact he had taken with her. It had been the right course, the one that he had instinctively felt, and still continued to feel. He leaned forward and spoke gently, not wanting to upset her. "To be honest Buffy," he sighed, "that's not how I was taught. There were a lot of times that I just had to get in there and do what I had to do, regardless of what others thought or wanted. But with you..."

She glanced up at him again, curious now. "With me?" she prompted as he ran his hand through his hair once more. Alec smiled reassuringly at her.

"With you," he explained, with as much precision in his voice that he could muster, "it's different. Because the whole situation is different. Like you said before, it's extremely weird in a way that I'm not used to. Something inside me just tells me that the way I used to do things wouldn't be right here. So I..." he shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Honestly? I try to put myself in your shoes. Think about how things are affecting you. And I know that I would hate, do hate," he corrected himself, thinking of Manticore, his old home sweet hell, "other people taking over. Making all the decisions. Taking away that right. So I try not to do it to you."

She stared at him for the longest moment and Alec was proud of himself that he didn't squirm under her direct gaze. Finally she broke and smiled again. "well, whatever your reasons are, I do appreciate it. It's been exactly right. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he smiled in return, relieved that once again, he hadn't messed up. "Now then," he rapped his hand lightly on the counter between them, "let's see what I have in my cupboards. Coffee takes a while. But I'm pretty sure that I've got some tea too."

"So your conversation with Tara went well?" Alec asked easily. He and Buffy had finally decided on tea and though it wasn't his favorite drink in the world, he had felt a little bad not to join her. So he had prepared a cup for himself, adding a few heaping teaspoons of sugar to the brew and found it palatable enough.

They had begun with discussing a few mundane things first. Mostly about how quiet it was in Logan's penthouse, up away and removed from the world. Alec could see, from her few descriptions the life and living she was used to. Living in a house where there were constant sounds of the city around them. Even the apartment she had dwelled in when she had run away from home, cheap and only on the second floor with the sounds of LA nightlife around the. She had noted that even now she could hear soft sounds from the surrounding apartments, noises that Alec heard whenever he was home and even now, the soft snores of his neighbors.

And Buffy had hinted at how she felt that she was disrupting his life more than he let on. Alec couldn't say much about that, knowing that Logan had not and was not willing to share the Eyes Only portion of his life with his cousin yet. Aside from seeing how imperiously he summoned Max to help him, be the brawn of his little operation and then getting sucked in to helping by guilt or whatever reason it was, Alec had little to do with Logan's alter ego. He did have a good idea, having been taught the ins and outs of and actually practicing intelligence gathering, how much time consuming work had to go into it. Especially for someone that didn't have an entire black ops corporation or transgenic skills to rely on.

"Yeah, I guess," Buffy sighed her answer to his question about Tara, as she cradled her still warm mug in between her hands. "We got a few things worked out. Things I never thought I'd have to deal with."

"Oh, like what?" Alec wondered. He could only imagine the types of details that would go into bringing Buffy fully into the twenty-first century. Especially later in the game than she'd left it.

"Well, identity papers for me," she smiled gently. "Had to figure out some logical reason behind my existence."

"And what did you decide?" he asked, a trace of a smile on his face, sensing that it might be something humorous from the rapid blinking of her eyes and the twitch at the corner of her mouth.

"Well," she pursed her lips, "it turns out that I am my own daughter." Her eyes crinkled at the corners with a suppressed bemusment.

"Huh?" Alec grunted out automatically, before understanding and letting loose a chuckle. "Oh that's rich. But makes sense. Is Tara gonna help you with setting that up?"

Buffy nodded and then took a quick sip before setting the mug on the coffee table before her. She snuggled quickly back into her position, her feet up off the floor, tucked under herself, seated sideways on the couch. Alec on the other hand was lounging, stretched out slightly. "She is. She actually has some contacts that owe her a few favors."

"Tara has contacts?" Alec grinned. The idea, with the little that he knew about the woman, seemed incongruous, but also a little right. "She gonna magic up some papers for you?"

"If she can get it done as fast as she says, it would be magic," Buffy joked, then shook her head. "No. She has a military contact. Which is good, from what I understand."

Alec was relieved that she wasn't watching him when she announced that, since it was a little startling. "Military?" he repeated, trying to assure himself that there was no way she could know...

"Yeah," Buffy nodded, still calm and Alec watched her carefully. "She did a favor for a guy, he owes her and since I was affiliated with the army at one point, she's thinking that I might be able to be assigned my old rank."

"You were with the military?' his eyes widened slightly. Logan certainly hadn't told him that. Her ex boyfriend Riley, yes, but Buffy herself. Had she joined up to be with the guy?

"I was... a civilian contractor, I guess you'd call it," she muttered. "Not very long, since their commanding officer, who was also my college psychology professor was a total bitch."

Alec blinked several times before he shook his head as well. "Small world, huh? So you weren't actually enlisted?"

"Oh no," she chuckled. "Really not. They just wanted me for my expertise." Alec noted instantly that she realized that she had said more than she had wanted to. Her tell was very obvious in that manner.

"Well that must be a relief then," he offered, not wanting to press her to the point that she was not anywhere close to comfort. Here she was in his home, calm and even smiling occasionally. It was too good of a feeling for him and he was sure for her, to be able to relax and not have to be on guard every single second, even if he sort of was. But he just didn't want Buffy panicking and sliding back to what she'd been like the first few days. "What was your rank, if you don't mind me asking?"

"To tell you the truth," Buffy relaxed as the conversation swerved around the hurdle she had put there without intending to, "I don't even remember. It was on my identification for getting into the base, but I just stuck it in my purse or whatever until I needed in. I mean, they had retina scanners and visual face recognition machines, so it wasn't like I had to sneak in or... or anything."

"Uh huh," Alec grinned. Again that tell. He leaned forward as well to place his own empty mug on the table. "So what makes me think that you did exactly that?"

Buffy groaned softly and dropped her head to rest in her hands. "Can we forget I said that? I mean, we didn't do anything bad! Well, we did, but it was for a good cause!"

"Oh, it's we now," Alec chuckled. "This is getting good. You've got to spill now!" He was simply teasing and was ready to drop it, if she protested again, but suddenly, she had turned her head to regard him and there was an amused look on her face.

"Okay fine," she grunted. "We did it on a dare. Xander and Cordelia were the ones that actually broke in."

"Really?" Alec's eyebrows went up. "How'd they manage that and what kind of dare? And how does a dare become a good cause?"

"Really long story," Buffy shrugged one shoulder, but came out of her huddle to regale him with the short tale. "We were dared to break into the local army base. Xander actually knew something about it, so we chose him to go. He took Cordy along as his date, to pretend that he was a soldier that was on leave and she got all... hot and bothered by army stuff."

"And they believed that crap?" Alec scoffed. Her grin told him that they did.

"Well, when Xander chewed out the soldier that caught them for being absent from his post, a mistake with his uniform and the fact that the kid couldn't even hold his rifle properly," she chuckled and then sighed. "We heard the story many times over. He was so proud of himself for actually pulling that one off."

"I'll bet," Alec chuckled.

"So, was Xander actually enlisted at some point?" he wondered. Buffy quickly shook her head.

"No," she protested. And then looked a little sheepish. "It's just... when I first moved to Sunnydale, well, we always had these movie nights. Xander was really great, but it seems," she paused and chuckled then. "Well, we always ended up watching something that Willow or I liked and every so often he'd get these manly moment fits."

"Manly moment fits?" Alec repeated, his eyes gleaming with amusement, not even realizing that he was unconsciously leaning closer. Buffy nodded slowly as she twisted the coffee mug that she held around and around in her hands.

"He'd gather up as many of his dad's old war movies and watch them one after another," she explained. "I guess it was his way of trying to not come off so... he got teased so much in school," she winced. "And it didn't help that I completely undermined his manhood that one time... well, more than one time..."

"Undermined..." Alec began and then shook his head. "Something tells me that there are a lot of good stories here. I mean, obviously not good if you're undermining, but amusing? Does that sound horrible of me?" he chuckled. He was relieved that even though her eyes dropped to her lap, there was a hint of a smirk on her face.

"Xander was a goof ball," she shrugged. "Anyone, _he_ would be the first to tell you that. But he was also one of the most solid, dedicated friends anyone could ever have. The type of guy that stood up for others, even when the cost was..."

"A good guy, huh?" Alec nodded. "When it mattered most?"

"Most of the time," Buffy agreed. "I don't kid myself that he was perfect. He had blind spots. Angel being one of them. He hated Angel with a real passion, before we even started dating. And he could be insensitive, missing things that were right in front of him. And he dated Cordelia. While he was the treasurer of the 'We Hate Cordelia Chase Club'."

Alec blinked heavily, several times. "There are so many things..." he began and then squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sorry," he chortled as he carefully pinched the bridge of his nose. "You had a club?"

"Not me," she protested softly and then chuckled as well. "Willow, Xander and their old friend Jesse. Before I moved to Sunnydale. Cordelia really wasn't the nicest person back then. She was really a bitch and didn't care how she trampled all over people. Not just someone with a bitchy attitude that... ugh. Well, until she started dating Xander. I think, maybe that's when she started to change, just a little, mind you."

"It's surprising what little things will set a person off," Alec noted calmly, his hand lowered, watching her once more. "And interesting to see people dancing around subjects so much." To her credit, Buffy didn't deny that she had been. She just sighed, her shoulders drooping. "The only reason I mention it," he went on, "is because I'm all right if you don't want to talk about it. You don't have to keep telling me stories about the old days or switching to a different one to keep me distracted."

"I... do want to talk," Buffy admitted. "But it's hard. I don't understand in a way, what they thought they were accomplishing." It took Alec a moment to realize that she was talking about being brought back. The huge elephant in the room that they had all done everything they could to tiptoe around. And not just for Buffy's sake.

"But at the same time," she continued, "I do. It just... makes me so angry that they could think to do something like that. The consequences... there were so many..." she swallowed heavily and then peeked at him, a sidelong glance from the corner of her eye. "But who am I to throw stones? I wasn't there. I don't know what they were dealing with, or how. And I'm just... too tired to try and put myself in their shoes."

"It's not an easy task," Alec agreed. "Especially as there are so many shoes to fill at one time. If you want, try it with just one at a time. Maybe it'd be easier."

"Probably," she sighed, with a deceptively casual shrug."I guess maybe, the whole thing?" she began before turning to him. "Tara's already told me what they were doing. That night, I mean. The why, obviously, to bring me back. She just didn't tell me the total of how and I'm not sure I'm ready to revisit that."

"I can't imagine I would be either," Alec grumbled uncomfortably. "And she still wants to talk to us, Max, Logan and I, about what happened afterwards."

"Afterwards what?" Buffy asked slowly, almost freezing, if she hadn't been so still already.

"After we saw what they did, or were doing..." Alec responded, squinting hard at her. He could almost tell the second her heartbeat picked up. Her pupils were dilating suddenly and he just did not have a good feeling about this. Deep in the pit of his stomach.


	33. Chapter Thirty-two

Title: Darkening Of The Light

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: The characters and fictional placings of either of these shows do not belong to me. They belong to Cameron/ Eglee (Dark Angel), Joss Whedon (BtVS) and Whedon/ Greenwalt (AtS). Only the story belongs to me.

Rating: 15 (for a little language)

Genre: Crossover of DA/ BtVS

Type: WiP

Time line/ Spoilers: Post Season 5 for Buffy. Up to LAtR for DA. Story set in DA time.

Summary: BtVS/ DA crossover. Life brings about so many changes. Especially when one has just risen from the dead.

Distribution: Is under the discretion of the author, so just ask instead of taking please.

Reviews: While I may not always respond to reviews, they are always welcome!

Darkening Of The Light

Chapter Thirty-two

_June 2nd, 2021_

_3:55 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Downtown_

"Buffy?" Alec asked lowly, concern spiking for her sudden increase of respirations and just the general heightened feeling of worry for her. But then, she seemed to be making the effort to control herself, slowing her breathing, closing her eyes, though the second didn't last long. Her shoulders hunched slightly before she turned to glance at him.

"Sorry," she offered a little sheepishly. "I think I know what you mean. This whole thing? It makes my entire stomach knot up and twist and gurgle and just don't like it. Really want to avoid the painful, twisty knots it brings."

"Yeah, me too," he grinned, relieved, but not pleased. Not happy because having to press down all these feelings, the good and the bad was getting to be a mish mash of confusion that his linear thinking mind did not appreciate. Recognized completely, but also knew that this could lead down a path of badness. "So," he smirked, "we can either avoid the subject still, which sounds good to me, or..."

"Or?" she asked, an answering smirk hovering on her lips.

"Well, I've got nothing else," he chuckled. "Because the alternative is just too annoying to deal with right now. Besides, if we were to talk about this," he waved his hand into the space between them, "it might cause a problem for Tara."

"How so?" she wondered, eyes lighting and truly seeming curious this time.

"Because if I say something, then you say something, then those something's are in our mind," he explained cheekily. "And then when we say it to Tara, we might say the one or the other, but how would she know which is correct?"

"Oh, so for the integrity of Tara's interrogation we should maintain our silence on the subject and whoa, not gonna try saying that three times fast," Buffy chuckled, though it sounded just a little forced.

"Sure," Alec nodded quickly, chuckling too. "But yeah, exactly. So I propose a new set of choices."

"Those being?" she wondered quickly. Alec shrugged his shoulders.

"We keep talking about something completely different," he suggested, before glancing at his watch. "Or, you crash on my bed, I take the couch and we try to catch a few hours of sleep."

"Oh Alec," Buffy sighed, wrinkling up her nose. "I'm sorry. You have to work in the morning, don't you? See? Sorry, not used to that sort of thing since... my mom."

"So you never had to get up for early morning classes, or what, even in high school?" he teased.

"Oh well, yeah," she nodded, not ignoring the way he skipped over an entirely uncomfortable subject, which she suspected that he did for her, but maybe, given what he had said to Logan, might also apply to him. If obviously, as his mother at the very least, from what she had gleaned, had passed on as well. "But in high school, it wasn't so unusual for me to drop off for a nap here or there. Occasionally," she stressed with a small forced grin. No use in telling him what had caused her to be so tired in the mornings. "You'd think," she added, "with only one club in town and not even a good club, we wouldn't have been such party animals."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Alec muttered, his eyes gleaming again. "If you hadn't been going to a club, something tells me that you and your friends would have found something else to get up to."

"Oh yeah," Buffy scoffed. "Roaming the streets to ticket litterers, or... or well, there were the marathon Indian channel nights."

"The what?" he gasped out, his face crinkling into a puzzled mien.

"Oh, just a night where we'd sit around watching non-dubbed Indian movies, not Native American movies, but the ones from India, where the actresses would dance around a harem singing about gold coins and snakes and be heartbroken, but you couldn't tell because they were smiling all the time and braiding Willow's hair," she finished, a little winded at the long explanation.

"The actresses were braiding Willow's hair?" Alec teased and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we had this amazing invention called the interactive screen of doom," she snarked right back. "You had to be careful what you watched. But luckily, with Will's red hair, they all thought she was a fire demon that would destroy their totally make up tv worlds unless they pleased her with offerings of ribbons and chocolate."

"Oh man," Alec pouted, playing along with a repressed smirk. "My childhood feels so deprived now, what with the regular television of news reports and music videos. How did I live without this amazing invention?"

"Oh yeah," Buffy scoffed, glancing down at her tea cup. "Back in the good ol' days, when there were only a hundred cable channels to choose from..."

"And you could buy all the chocolate you wanted for a quarter," Alec continued teasing, "and you had to walk to school, uphill, both ways and video games were played in arcades."

"Oh please," Buffy half snorted. "Chocolate? For a quarter? That would have been my grandparents day. And we had video game consoles. I'm not that old!"

"No, I guess you're not," Alec nodded and then chuckled. "Though you are. But damn if you don't look really good for your true age."

"Yeah," she murmured and Alec wondered if he'd put his foot in it. But then she glanced up at him once more. "Did I tell you that Tara and I chose a new birthday for me?"

"No, don't think you mentioned that," he noted, watching her play idly with the handle of the mug she held. "Any reason why you needed a new one?"

"Because me looking like me, giving birth to myself on my own birthday might throw up a few red flags that a Seattle government official might raise an eyebrow too," she quipped.

"Yeah, I'd see that eyebrow and raise a sneer as well," Alec grinned. "Trouble with establishing your identity? I mean," he added swiftly, unable to tell her, to share his own troubles in that department. "I can imagine there's all sorts of troubles. But that's what you picked. To be your own daughter," he reminded her.

She shrugged slowly. "Can you think of anything else that would explain...?" and she pointed one finger at her face.

"Lot's of things," Alec admitted. "Logan's the only one here that knows you, right? Been a long time. You could have had an entirely new identity. Like, oh high financier just moved from New York to take over a company, but they went under just after your reassignment."

"If math were a friend of mine, maybe," she scoffed.

"Oh please," it was Alec's turn to snort. "Logan wouldn't shut up about those test scores you got."

"Seriously?" Buffy's eyes widened. "My whole life... up until that point and that's what stuck with him?"

"Yeah," Alec mused, tilting his head back against the curve of the sofa for a moment. "You probably don't know this yet about your cousin, but once something interesting comes to his attention, he tends to get obsessive about it."

"Oh, that's nothing new," Buffy grimaced. "You should have seen him and Dawn..." she trailed off, quickly pressing a hand to her chest. Alec was instantly regretting even moving onto a topic that caused that look of pain in her eyes. "Sorry," she whispered suddenly. He inched forward, his hand reaching for her shoulder.

"No, no," he soothed. "I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking."

"It's not your fault," Buffy shook her head before glancing up at him. "Just... really having a hard time believing that she's supposed to be gone. I can still feel her, like she's out there somewhere."

"That must be difficult," he sighed. As much as Max had purported that he and Ben, X5-493 were twins, that wasn't the truth. They were cloned embryos and there had never been a twin bond, such as real siblings might have endured. There were very few people in this world that Alec could claim having any kind of bond with. Some days... he wondered. "Is it tougher to try and pretend that she's not around, anywhere? Or is it tougher to maintain that she is when everyone else tells you your wrong?"

"Both," she answered after a moment. "It hurts to think that she's out there and no one knows. Hurts to wonder if she's okay, maybe living a life, like she should. Or that she doesn't know, or maybe she does and there's something keeping her from me. Hurts even more to think that maybe Logan's right. That she's really gone and this feeling is..."

"All in your head?" he murmured. Her eyes were luminous with unshed tears.

"Yeah," she mumbled brokenly and Alec was suffused with the urge to comfort her even more. But something about her stiffly held posture told him that she wasn't ready for comfort of a physical level that he wanted to inundate her with. Instead, he drew his hand back from her shoulder to lean his own head on it as he regarded her.

"So tell me, what makes Dawn Summers the most awesome little sister in the world?" he asked gently and was relieved when she looked up at him gratefully and then with a strangled snort, laughed.

"To tell the truth, she was a whiny, gangly holy terror," she grumbled, though he could hear the affection throbbing in her voice. "When we were little, it was okay. Kind of cool to have this kid think that I was the greatest thing in the world. You know?"

He didn't but it was a relief that she was talking about it without breaking down completely, so he smiled and nodded and continued to listen.

DotL~DotL~DotL

_June 3rd, 2021_

_10:24 a.m._

_Seattle, WA_

_Downtown_

When Alec woke, he felt the stiffness and weight immediately. Coming awake, to instant alertness and stillness was something ingrained from a lifetime of Manticore and never knowing where you might end up and in what situation. So he had plenty of time to assess the situation before deciding what to do.

The view of his ceiling wasn't all that surprising. The feel of his couch that his body was molded against wasn't anything too new either, having fallen asleep on it before. Usually, he'd lay down, but the weight of something pressed against his left arm, shoulder and leg told him that they'd never gotten that far. The scent of Buffy's shampoo filling his nostrils reminded him exactly who that somebody was and why they'd not made it past the couch.

Turning his head, Alec saw the slightly troubled features that he could make out under a thick strand of hair falling over her cheek. He frowned and shifted a little. Even her dreams couldn't let her be, apparently. As he shifted, several areas of stiffness protested, mostly his hand that had gone slightly numb from the pressure of her body against it and lack of blood rushing freely back and forth through the veins. The slightl movement though seemed to have started the wake up process for Buffy as she flared her nostrils slightly and turned her face several times, sweeping her cheek over his shoulder, before she pushed herself upright and blinked at him.

"Morning," he rumbled, his voice lower with remnants of sleep and non use for several hours.

"Ugh," she groaned as her eyes drifted down to apparently assess their positions. She sighed. "Sorry."

"'Bout what?" he wondered. "Fallin' asleep on the couch? Nothing too nefarious about that."

"No. The uh..." she rolled her eyes and brought her hand up to point at his shoulder. "That's one of the obvious dangers of falling asleep on someone."

Alec glanced down at his shoulder again and instantly saw what she meant, the small, wet circle and now that she was no longer leaning on him, brought his hand up to start shaking off the unpleasant sensation of deadening in his arm. "Drooler, huh?" he teased. "That's okay, I can always spin that into something much sexier than it was, if you want?"

"It's just horrible that you know that about me at all," Buffy complained as she lifted her arms to try stretching out her back. Alec couldn't help appreciating the movement from a purely physical stand point, but was quick to hide it. Not because he was ashamed, but because he sensed that she really wasn't ready to handle something of that nature... still.

"Well, I didn't have a chance to check out the top of your head before you sat up," Alec warned, his voice still gruff, though he was thoroughly amused and sure that she could see it. "So you might be able to assume-!"

"Oh God! Please don't tell me that you drooled in my hair?" she winced. Alec chuckled and shrugged, and then it was his turn to wince at the movement pulled even more at sore muscles and a fresh rush of blood made it's way down to his smaller extremities. Namely his fingers. Buffy's hands darted up, but she hesitated.

"Can't say I did," he teased once more. "Or didn't, but if it helps, your hair isn't doing that weird stiff thing that happens when you add... product to it." And with that reassurance, her hands ruffled through her hair and she gave an appreciable noise.

"All dry," she announced. And then, as she scooted to the edge of the sofa, she glanced around. "This is weird."

"What's weird?" Alec wondered as he pushed off the furniture and swung his torso around, his feet planted on the floor at shoulder width apart. He heard a small pop as his spine realigned a slight measure.

"That it wasn't weird or embarrassing to wake up... on you, you know?" she explained.

"Not really," he agreed. "Probably because we just slept," he decided. "Nothing horrible about that. Although it does say something."

"Sleeping says...?" Buffy wondered and then her eyes widened. "I wasn't talking in my sleep, was I?" she demanded.

"Not that I'm aware of," Alec shook his head. "No, just meant, that it can take an awful lot of trust to sleep with another person around."

"So my falling asleep on you wasn't about being tired," she murmured, "it's cause I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you too," he pointed out and was pleased as a small grin spread over her face.

"Well yeah, that is... not horrible," she decided. "So...?"

"Well, since it's," Alec began turning his wrist and fiddling to get the watch face twisted around so that he could read it, "ah crap. Ten thirty," he winced and rubbed his free hand over his eyes. "Late for work," he explained quickly. "So, quick plan, you go ahead and use the bathroom if you need it while I get my stuff. I'll hop in and change and then I will run you home and then go offer abject apologies to Normal and hopefully still have a job at the end of the day."

"Or," Buffy nodded, "I can go to the bathroom, you can call your boss and tell him that a small emergency came up and you'll be in as soon as it's dealt with."

"That works too," Alec agreed with a chuckle. "Either way though, could ya hurry? Last night's tea is not this morning's friend with the bladder."

"Oh right," she nodded, a faint blush staining at her cheeks as she dashed over to the smallest room in the apartment.

It didn't take long for them to get ready, since Buffy had no new clothes to change into. Alec made sure that she had her visitor issued city pass before they left the apartment and was tempting her into stopping at a little diner he knew to grab some breakfast, his treat, as they walked down the stairs to the outside of his apartment building. Since he had taken her idea, calling Normal and telling the man in all seriousness what had happened, that Buffy had gotten lost and because it was so close to curfew, she had crashed at his place and he was taking her home. That they'd overslept because they had been talking over the fire and all the things that had been upsetting her, Normal had actually understood and told him not to worry about being late. To just take care of his young lady, since she wasn't used to Seattle yet and making her walk an hour on her own was not tenable in Normal's books. He'd just be down for a six hour shift instead of an eight.

That worked out for Alec just perfectly. And Buffy, her stomach rumbling for once, decided that her clothes could pass muster for a diner. When they got down to the garage, for the building's tenants, Alec led her straight to his lime green Ducati bandit. Her eyes widened as she took it in.

"Not what you expected?" he teased as he slung his leg over it, straightening the bike up so that she could join them. "We can always walk if you'd prefer that."

"No, it's okay," she shook her head. "Green's just too bright for my eyes. You sure that color is legal?"

"Hey, just makes it that much easier to spot in a parking lot," he sniffed, as if mildly offended, though he wasn't. It wasn't like there had been a lot of choice when he had needed something immediately for transportation. Buffy shrugged and when he had scooted forward, reached out to balance herself with a hand on his shoulder as she swung her leg over the seat. He felt her moving behind him, centering herself as he had, before her hands tentatively came to rest at his waist. "Ready?" he asked over his shoulder. "I'll take it easy," he promised, "since I don't have helmets here..." he trailed off, but she said nothing of it.

"I'm good," she replied and Alec turned the key. Like Max's ninja, the bandit was an automatic. There might be something satisfying about kick starting a bike, but it wasn't always the most reliable start when you needed to make a fast getaway. He let the engine idle for a moment, warming up, pleased that the noise and feel of the engine didn't seem to cause Buffy any undue stress or surprise. When he eased them forward, slowly, to make sure that she really was good, he felt her inner thighs tighten at his hips, though her hands remained loose. A wild grin curved his lips. Oh yeah, she was good.

They made it to the diner he had been thinking of when he mentioned it to her and when he pulled into the curb to park, he looked her over and was pleased to see that her eyes were sparkling slightly, even as she fussed with her hair. He held his hand up to help her climb off before knocking the kickstand down.

"I'd forgotten how much fun those are," she grinned as she stood on the sidewalk while Alec powered down and locked the engine. "You know, it's been forever since I... not since Pike, back at Hemery High."

"Hemery High?" Alec wondered.

"Before we moved to Sunnydale," she explained. "That was my school, um..."

"The one that you burned down?" Alec teased as he clambered off the bike, making sure that it settled on the stand properly.

"Hey!" she protested, her eyes wide and then she coughed and mumbled something.

"What was that?" Alec taunted, leaning close.

"I said it was just the gym and _I_ didn't actually start the fire," she grumbled. "I was just blamed for it."

"Good to know pyro," Alec continued to tease as he led the way into the diner, holding the door open for her.

"Nicknames, lovely," Buffy snorted. They continued to tease and chat, which Alec was more than happy about, as they decided to order the breakfast platter, with two plates, since everything else seemed like too much for Buffy to manage on her own. Alec was inordinately pleased to see that ham seemed to be back on the menu. It had been a while.

When he mentioned it to Buffy, after they had taken their seats in a booth, that opened up more conversation. After their coffee was delivered, they talked about what they might expect out of their days. For Alec it would be work. Buffy was sort of expecting to spend more time with Tara and mentioned the possibility again that Tara might stick around Seattle while Buffy got settled in. Alec could see how she liked that idea and told her that he'd be more than happy to check with his contacts about finding Tara somewhere to live that didn't charge by the night. Or barring that, Max or Cindy might know. Buffy promised to ask Tara about it and let them know what was decided. When the platter arrived, something like a trucker's special, Alec allowed Buffy to spoon off the portions she wanted onto her own plate before taking some for himself. And she ate, which was a relief. And then took seconds. Of course, it was barely enough to keep a bird alive, in Alec's opinion, but she was managing and spun the right way, the news would make Logan happy.

After he'd paid and they made their way through the city to Logan's corner penthouse in Fogle Towers, passing with general ease through the sector checkpoints, both were in pretty good moods. That however, ended as they pulled up to the curb across from the building, to find that there was something of a kerfluffle going on.

"I told you!" Logan's strident voice rang out from the building's security doors. Alec's eyes widened as he saw Logan holding firm to the door as someone else seemed to be trying to yank it open. "She'll be home later. I'll have her call you."

"You called me in a panic last night because she didn't come home!" the other man growled, one that was quickly recognized, Alec not needing Buffy's breathed out, exasperated _''Angel!'_ to recognize the lumbering build. "And she's still not home. What if-!"

"She's fine," Logan insisted. "You're making a scene!"

"Then let me in and-!" But Angel stopped then, apparently alerted to Buffy's presence, since Logan had just caught sight of them across the street, his body sagging in slight relief, though both Buffy and Alec could read the suppressed ire in his face and frame. The door, swinging open a little more was just another hint to Angel, who twisted around and quickly honed in on Buffy, sitting on the back of the Ducati, with Alec. "Buffy!" he shouted, losing all interest in her cousin and turning to dart out into the street. His face was thrown into sharp relief as he emerged from the shadow of the building, striding towards them.

Alec, feeling protective, a little territorial, of course, with this large man bearing down on them, felt it worsen when for the first time that morning, felt Buffy shudder, her hands curling reflexively into his sides. She was upset. Angel, once again was making her upset, and that animal inside of 494 wasn't having any of it, when he heard her pained gasp. But before he could even begin to react, because mostly he just wanted to pull his feet up, rev the engine and peel out of there until she was somewhere she felt safe, he felt her sliding away. His chest rumbled an unintentional protest as he quickly adjusted for the weight shift. And then he could only watch as he scrambled to keep up, as Angel was heading straight for her and was met with a very angry, very powerful right cross, that landed the other man flat on his ass.

It was music to Alec's ears as Buffy stood over the rival, her hands on her hip.

"Angel, you bastard!"


End file.
